The Villainous Vigiliatnes
by TheLastTscheapwhetzar
Summary: The War of Abominations takes an unexpected turn when the creatures and servants of the Empty God seek out the Quill of Inspiration, a tool so powerful, it can rewrite any story ever created. In order to capture this all powerful weapon, the Tscheapwhetzar assembles a team of villains to accomplish a job only they can.
1. Epilogue - The Larger Game

The Abomination called himself Ezekiel, a fitting name for a bringer of the apocalypse. Had Ezekiel always been his name? He thought it might be. Who he was before he died was a fuzzy memory and like smoke to grasp. However, it wasn't important. What was critical then was to ensure the Devouring of the Tumblr Nebula. The Empty God had sent him personally to bring some order to the attack on the nebula that contained millions of worlds.

Ezekiel breathed in the nebula's air, full of self-gratification and hopeless imagination. He threw out his four arms and took in the who glorious stench and the view of millions of worlds swirling about in the comic glitter of ones and zeros. Ezekiel stood before the helm of a Dreadnaught Shadow, a dead creature of shadow with multiple limbs claws. It could be piloted from the head, which was retrofitted with machinery to allow the crew to pilot the moon sized corpse. Dreadnaught Shadows could ferry millions of Shadows and other allies to the Empty God. Ezekiel was bringing three million extra troops to the nebula to drive the two Guardian haplessly defending the entire space out. Better yet, he would kill them and take their swords and bodies back to his master.

Ezekiel's body was made up three Accursed powers, four cadavers, and one monster. Not only did he have four arms, all from different bodies, he stood on four smoky, transparent scorpion legs and had long cords for hair draped over his shoulders. Pale yellow eyes looked back at him from reflections on the obsidian matter that made up the Dreadnaught beast. Ezekiel was clearly a second generation Abomination, as he did not resemble a corpse stitched back together. Some of those who followed the Empty God compared him to the Scorpion King. He had watched _The Mummy Returns_ , and had then promptly killed those who pointed out the comparison. When the Door to Reality was finally thrust open, he would find every last person who helped make that movie and murder them with all four hands. It was another enraging thought.

And thinking of enraging thoughts, he had heard that the next generation would again look more humanoid in form and he growled at the thought. Monsters like himself were just what the Empty God needed. Why try to perfect what was already exactly what he needed?

The surviving Accursed, the last ten Guardian and that cowardly Tscheapwhetzar were all that remained of the once vast tribes who made up the Pact. Now they lambasted their own powerful and ennobling heritage and called themselves Accursed. They refused to embrace the full powers the devil had given them; Satan had given them the powers to shape all of Imagination and warp that power to become gods. These lost eleven spurned that power. The Empty God and his Abomination were the trues heirs of such power, and they would prove it in this war.

Ezekiel grinned to himself now as he thought about the Guardians we would soon fight. They walked the Path of Enlightenment, and those who walked the Path were unable to do all that was required of them to win in any situation. They did want to offend God, that blight who dared to govern all creation across all Realms and the Origin. Because they would not embrace the powers that could be theirs, they were not as versatile as him. They also relied on the power of Absolution. Though it was the greatest of the Eight by far, those who saw everything as literal could not comprehend the nuance of creative thought. Furthermore, no armor was without a weak point. He would find them quickly, and incapacitate them, enjoy their torturous screams, and then murder them.

 _That is enough self-exposition for now_ , he thought lazily.

Like all who used the powers of the Accursed, the powers of the Pact, he could trace all the thoughts that passed through his mind in an instant, as though they had taken up a little more than a page of space.

"Bring the beast to a halt," he ordered in a low hiss.

Shadows moved to hit a series of buttons and commands. The massive, hollow body stopped and remained suspended on the edge of the nebula.

"The Tumblrverse is ripe for the picking," a voice growled from the darkness around Ezekiel.

"Yes. We have come to claim a great victory for the Empty God, may all of Creation fall into his bosom! He has sent us here personally to oversee the execution of two Guardians and the Devouring of this entire nebula!"

Roars of approval met his proclamation. Ezekiel held up his arms to call for quiet around him.

"We will then ride the millions of Starlines connecting this place to the rest of the Realms. The remaining Guardians will be overwhelmed by our onslaught! And it all begins here! Captain, what is that world there, closest to us?"

A shadow without form shifted to a panel with outlandish symbols and read it. Here in the Realms, it was easy to get machinery and computers to navigate the vastness of Imagination. Data boards and computers could easily tell one everything there was to know about a world that floated in Imagination's expanse.

"It is the world of user Axe4Head, a moderately imaginative boy from the Origin. He is obsessed with _RWBY_ fanfictions and even submits his own pathetic art to the internet for scorn," the captain rasped. "His levels of power show that he doesn't deserve to stand in the King's new world order."

 _Wonderful_ , Ezekiel thought malevolently. This was one of the reasons why God did not deserve to reign. _A pathetic boy given access to great power, but he squanders it with fan fictions and poorly drawn images, when he could be composing symphonies or writing material that could change the world. He can dip into Imagination, he might have even toughed these Realms at some point. But now he wastes all of that Potential on the internet and dumps into a nebulous wasteland like Tumblr. Oh yes, he deserves to lose everything! His defeat will be our sacrament and valuable sacrifice to the Empty God!_

"Is there a Starline from Axe4Head to the boy's Star?"

The captain raised what was misshapen head and nodded. Great news. If they could attack the boy's Star, where his own imagination and all his ideas dwelled, a kind of personal pocket universe for each individual person in Reality. If Ezekiel and his armies could take this Star, they could cull all of boy's creativity and Devour his Potential, the God-given ability to act for himself, to think, and to create across all realms of existence.

Ezekiel let out another hiss. "Excellent. I crave the taste of blood. I will have Axe4Head's Potential within the hour. Send a message to the armies and to the incoming fleet. We will take that planet, and once it is dead, we will use its mangled remains to connect with Gilgamesh."

Gilgamesh was the forlorn first generation Abomination who had not been able to break the Guardians' hold on this nebula, the Tumblrverse. Once Ezekiel had had his fun, his armies would meet up with Gilgamesh. Then he would take control entirely of subjugating the Tumblr Nebula, wherein he would prove to his god that his kind were the superior breed of weapons, the true Abominations.

Madame, the high leader of the Order, was in a pickle. She and the rest of the Order wished desperately to aid the Guardians in their budding war with the Abominations. They had seen the reports, and in some cases, had even seen with their own eyes the horrors these monsters brought to the Realms of Imagination. They destroyed entire Stars, corrupted Starlines, and invaded worlds lying outside the Stars. The Realms were quickly devolving into a mess.

The Order abhorred any kind of disorder to the Realsm, whether that be crossovers between unrelated worlds and stories, pirates and merchants traveling the Starlines, or simply travelers being where they shouldn't. But they especially hated this chaotic war. The Guardians, defenders of the realms and preservers of all Creation, were the Order's greatest role models. The Order itself was named as such, because the organization sought to restore the Realms to the state they had been before Accursed like the Tscheapwhetzars began migrating all over and conquering different worlds and Stars, using their abominable Doors to travel. They had made the Doors, which were just that, doors that allowed instantaneous access to any world or mind, so they could prey on it. It was a good thing that there was only one Tscheapwhetzar left. The only problem was that the Order would have to work with him.

Well, they didn't really have to. They could have chosen to ignore the suggestion from the Guardians and go about their own business. Madame knew, however, that if they ever wanted to fight alongside the men and women they revered so much, they would to grit their teeth and meet with the Door building monster. If they could show the Guardians their willingness and ability to work with such an unpredictable man as the last Tscheapwhetzar, they were sure to be incorporated into the Guardians' military and help rescue the Realms of Imagination from the Empty God and his hordes of Abominations and Shadows.

Madame sat at her desk, rubbing her temples in a heavy massage. Her work space was immaculate, with everything in its perfect and proper place. She was the very embodiment of order. Madame was not her real name, but like all others in the Order, she used a code name, and she had assumed this one when she was appointed as the group's leader. She was a short, Asian lady with her hair shorn short in a pixie cut. She wore a conservative layer of makeup and had only simple jewelry on.

She slowly opened her eyes and thought, _We must go through with this. The Guardians would not have suggested this unlikely alliance unless they wished to test how ready we are to work with them. We must be then brave and smart. I do not doubt the courage of even half in the Order, but who is the wisest choice to send?_

That answer was easy enough, the Silver Knight was hands down the best option. He was a reformed Star Pirate, one who raided along the Starlines and sold stolen ideas to other Stars. He was very experienced in combat, had refined and excellent leadership skills, was charismatic, and he was very imaginative. However, sending the Silver Knight was out of the question. The Guardians had been preoccupied with the Abominations and had noticed the Star Pirates audacity and cunning in infiltrating and robbing thousands of worlds and Stars. They were a wild card that could easily throw the entire long game of this growing war.

The Silver Knight was to personally meet the pirates head on and bring them to heel or eliminate them. He would also take their bases of operations and cut off their movements. He would then repurpose their resources to containing the plague of Abominations. It was too large and important of a task to entrust to anyone else, other than herself, and she was needed to act as a liaison to the Guardians on their different worlds.

This is just too frustrating… We are such a small organization, and our goals are so high. We have little enough man power as it is to see that the Silver Knight succeeds in his job, let alone dedicate man power to this Tscheapwhetzar and whatever harebrained scheme he's been cooking up!

Madame got up and began circling her desk, deep in thought. The Order _did_ know what the Tscheapwhetzar had in mind. He was gathering a group of villains from throughout the Realms, murderers from different stories, to forma kind of Suicide Squad team to send into the heart of the battles in the Tumblr Nebula. They were supposed to locate the Quill of Inspiration, the Calamus of Canon, an all-powerful device capable of rewriting any story or world in Imagination!

 _How can he be so stupid as to entrust monster and bad guys to search out a pen that could undo us all!? How can the Guardians allow this? Do they believe that he won't succeed? Do they want us to keep an eye on things in case he does? Are we to stop the villains from using the Quill themselves? That must be it, and so my options are even more limited. Arg! This is too much. All I have is a headache, not answers._

Madame returned to her desk and swiped along its surface. A magical keyboard and screen appeared along the fine wood. She hot one button and it beeped.

"Call the Silver Knight to Madame's quarters at once! I have an urgent matter to discuss with him."

Another female voice responded in the affirmative. Madame then reclined, but kept her magical screen and keyboard up. Jerkily, she stabbed her finger into the screen and selected names, which brought up pictures and profiles on members in the Order. She was pulling up a list of possible candidates for the mission to accompany the Tscheapwhetzar woe begotten team of villainous misfits. Their faces popped up in the air around her, creating an obtuse halo about her head.

She knew she needed someone who could move with the crazy decisions made by a mad man. This would mean selecting a more unorthodox member of the Order, which was rare in an organization that prized rigid adherence to the way things were first created. Tscheapwhetzars were all about Corruption as they called it, the ability to influence anything that had been made in the Realms and repurpose it to their own devices and plan. Their name meant "collector and corrupter" after all. They could not create on their own, so they stole. They were master thieves, creating split timelines wherein they could pilfer ideas, characters, and even entire worlds without alerting the Guardians or the Originators, people back on Earth who had first imagined these ideas that were being stolen. The world's last Tscheapwhetzar was said to have stolen thousands of worlds. He was a monster, and was there anyone in the Order who could peaceably deal with him?

"Madame, you summoned me," the Silver Knight spoke from her doorway.

He was tall, African man in his late twenties, possibly early thirties. Madame never asked exactly where he was from or how old he was. He had been a broken man when the Order took him in. She had thought it best not to pry, and so had the others. Silver Knight had a proud profile with a distinguished nose and full lips. He was very muscular, as his tight short obviously stated. He carried himself with grace and confidence, very much unlike how he had when he first joined the Order. He was a man who caused many women and girls to blush, and he spoke with refined accent.

"Yes, it is a very important mater. We must select one of our own to join the Tscheapwhetzar on a foolish mission to retrieve the Quill of Inspiration," Madame fretted. "And I can't decide for the life of me who should go and who should not!"

"Ah, the Calamus of Canon," Silver Knight breathed. "It is a treasure, much like El Dorado, that has been sought for centuries. Are you sure this is not some great joke?"

"The Guardians said we should do it. They would know if this were a farce or not," she answered.

"Yes. Yes they would," the knight agreed slowly. "Why not send all of these men and women you have brought up?"

He gestured to the profiles circling Madame's head. She shook her head fervently and sighed.

"Come now, you know there is a war going on and that our resources are tight. I can't send all of them! I can afford a small escort of troops and scribes willing to assist in the venture, but that is it!"

"First of all, let me ask, where does the Accursed hope to find his prize," Silver Knight asked lightly, pulling up a highbacked chair.

"He believes it to be in the Tumblr Nebula."

Silver Knight let out a low whistle. "That is a war zone right now, and any treasure hunt there could end with a hundred year detour down a pointless comment thread. I am amazed myself that the Abominations are even attacking the place, aside from the lucrative and well connected Starlines of course."

Madame squinted at him and wondered how much of the old pirate had just surfaced then before she said, "Yes, it is an odd place to look. It is a great hiding place for whoever stuck it there, or if it went there of its own accord. I really can't say I know much of the Quill. Our man or woman will have to look more into it on the go."

"Then we will wish to have someone who has an extensive background in history, creating, or research. Preferably all of them," Silver Knight said, leaning forward.

Madame quickly selected three profiles. "Chronicles, Writer, and Professor. These are the three more _unorthodox_ members who fit those qualifications."

She had all but spat out the unfavorable term and glowered at the three pictures now hovering before her as she dismissed the others.

"Professor has no field experience," Silver Knight said, indicating the forty year old woman with thick glasses.

"And she has little imagination, to be honest," Madame sighed. "So, between Writer and Chronicles? I think Chronicles has the ability to find out everything we need and to keep the proper tabs on all of the Tscheapwhetzar's cronies. He would be able to determine their weaknesses quickly and eliminate them should they prove troublesome."

"That is true," Silver Knight agreed. "But Chronicles had almost no ability to adapt. He is too rigid. When you refer to him as unorthodox, you mean that he has a lax understanding of what makes up order."

Madame sighed. That was the truth. The man had no idea how to tidy his quarters, or how to write a good report. The fact that he chose the code name Chronicles was a big joke within the Order.

"But Writer is so young," Madame protested.

"Yes, but he is not impressionable. He will watch the Accursed like a hawk and not be swayed by temptation," Silver Knight noted. "He had field experience, and is adaptable. He might not be the best researcher, but he is creative and quick thinker. Give him a good staff and adequate resources, and he'll do whatever job you set before him."

"True," Madame admitted. "Very well, I cannot abode thinking about this much longer, send for him!"

It was not long before Writer showed up in Madame's quarters, shining with sweat and excitement. The eighteen-year-old Hispanic guy was lean and tall, with thick spectacles on his nose, magnifying his eyes. He gave the other two a nervous, toothy smile as he drew near. Silver Knight rose and got another chair from the wall for Writer to sit in. Madame did her best not to massage her temples and keep her voice even as she spoke.

"Writer, before I give you the details of an assignment Silver Knight and I have in mind, I would like to know if you are willing to be involved with a matter that could very well go against what we hold dear in the Order. Could you do it, whatever it is, and keep the information of this mission and its nature to yourself and only your highest superiors?"

Writer gulped a little and then responded, "Yes, I could do that. For the good of the Order, I mean! I let me just say that it is a real pleasure to be honored with such a vital mission!"

"Don't get too eager, or be too thankful just yet," Silver Knight chuckled. "You don't even know what you are in for yet."

"But Silver Knight, I want to be a part of whatever it is. Things are going badly here in the Realms. Are we not supposed to bring order? I have been sidelines many times where I felt I could have made a difference. If you offering me a chance to help out, I'll take it," he said earnestly and quickly.

Madame and Silver Knight shared a glance, before she said, "Very well. Silver Knight, please close the door. Writer, we have spoken with the Guardians about working together to fight these monsters they call the Abominations. Recently, we have learned they have infiltrated the Tumblrverse."

Writer whistled loudly as Silver Knight shut the door with a snap and stood guard.

"For now, the Guardians in their wisdom have suggested that we team up with the Tscheapwhetzar for a special mission," Madame continued

"What kind of mission would be so important that we lay aside out values and work with that monster," Writer gasped.

"To find the Quill of Inspiration, the Calamus of Canon, an instrument powerful enough to rewrite entire worlds and do untold damage to any Star," Silver Knight spoke up.

"I read about it a few times. I thought it was just a myth," Writer said in terrified awe. "We can't let the Tscheapwhetzar or the Abominations have it!"

"Our sentiments exactly," Madame said coolly. "And what's more, the Tscheapwhetzar is assembling a team of villains from various stories and Stars to help retrieve it. It's pure madness. Whatever could he be planning?"

"None can guess what goes on in his rotten brain," Writer said tersely. "But if we know what he is planning, then let's stop it!"

"We will, but we will do it from the inside," Madame confirmed. "You will join up with the Tscheapwhetzar, taking with you a small group of support from within the Order. Scribes for research and a few guards. You will be provided with links to direct information and contact with the Order. You will keep us updated at all times on your whereabouts, the progress of the mission, and the state of those whom the Tscheapwhetzar sends for find the Quill."

Writer thought for a moment, and Madame started getting uncomfortable. Was he going to now back out? Could he handle such a task? Was the pressure already getting to him before anything had even started?

Writer looked up at her and asked, "Can I have one request?"

She blinked and answered, "What is your request?"

"I want to bring a character in on this that I have made. His name is Revolver Ricardo. He is a vigilante with the powers and drive necessary to take on just about any villain the Tscheapwhetzar may procure."

Madame leaned forward more. "Have you given this creation thorough thought? Would he be strong enough to stand side by side with beings made from accredited individuals back on Earth?"

"Yes," Writer said resolutely. "He is very capable. He has an extensive back story and he had powers and weapons that allow him to fight seemingly undefeatable foes."

"I like the idea," Silver Knight spoke up. "In fact, it gives me an idea of another character we might add in. One that could shake things up and probably make the Tscheapwhetzar reveal his hidden hand sooner than he would normally."

"Really? Who do you have in mind?"

"I think we should discuss that once you have decided if Writer gets his request or not," Silver Knight smiled.

Madame turned back to Writer and said, "It is done. I will see to it that we open your Starlines and pull him through."

One quick thing then," Writer said hurriedly. "He cannot know that I am his Originator."

"I think that would go without saying," Madame eyes flashed. "We are about order after all. No thing or person should exist without its Star, unless it is a native to the Realms. Even they must be reined in."

"They will be soon, if all goes according to plan," Silver Knight said softly.

"Very good," Writer said, smiling again. "I will not let you or the Realms down."

As he got up, Madame said, "We may very well have to play this by ear. The Tscheapwhetzar will take the lead on this. It is your job to observe and plan for when we put a knife into his plan's back, or preferably his."

"As you say," Writer said, his mouth twitching a little. "I will leave now to prepare. Will the group be assembled by yourselves?"

"Yes. They will specifically selected and informed," Madame assured him. She then waved for him to go. Silver Knight let the younger man out and then reclosed the door. "I can't shake a growing sense of dread."

She hated admitting such things, even to herself.

"Nothing is safe or certain in warfare," Silver Knight, moving to take his old seat.

"You speak the truth. Okay, so who do you have in mind to be the wrench in the Tscheapwhetzar's schemes?"

Silver Knight gave her a wicked smile.

 _Am I a villain for the things I do? I am trying to save the Realms and redeem one soul and a love story, so great it has moved my heart. But in the process I have stained my hands black with blood, and I am about to accost a child… And yet, I feel driven and pulled to do so, if only for the promise I made so long ago._

The Tscheapwhetzar strode under the canopy of the RainWing forest. The humid air threatened to lacquer him with perspiration, but the cooling spell from within his robes kept him comfortable. He Willed himself to be unnoticeable to the dragons swinging by their tails overhead as he neared the NightWing encampment within the forest. Dragons didn't particularly care much for humans on this world, but he would rather them not trying to make him a new pet or play thing just in case, or in the case of the NightWings, a small snack.

The NightWings now belonged mostly to the rainforest kingdom, over which Queen Glory reigned in all her magnificence. The Tscheapwhetzar figured her name was appropriately given. He personally enjoyed the tales of this world, which two handfuls of young dragons working together to stop two monumental wars and ensure a future of peace between the once warring nations of dragons. There was one dragon here, however, who had been the catalyst for violence: Darkstalker.

Darkstalker had once been one of the most powerful dragons on the planet. He was now a small, magicless child. In his current state, he would do the Tscheapwhetzar little good. Darkstalker would be a powerful asset in his plan to recover the Quill of Inspiration and keep it safe from the Abominations. Furthermore, he would serve well for the experiment the Tscheapwhetzar was conducting.

Long before any of this, the Tscheapwhetzar had been one of the Realms' greatest villains. A monster who had destroyed entire worlds and corrupted many Stars. He was so fearsome that even the Guardians had shied from attacking him. They had hoped the Virus within him would destroy him, but it had not. Instead, he had only grown in power. Hellbent on a path of self-destruction, it had been a miracle that had turned him about, introduced him to the Path of Enlightenment, and brought him to this moment. Though he had worked hard to redeem himself, he could not help but see himself as a villain still. Hos work with other villains was to see if they could be reformed as well, and if they could find genuine happy endings. If they could, he hoped desperately that it would mean he could find one, too.

Darkstalker's story had distressed him, and he wanted to give the misguided dragon a second chance, but he would have to earn that chance. This was an opportunity to kill a few birds with one stone. The problem was getting the old Darkstalker back. He was now a small dragonet called Peacemaker and stripped of all his powers by a spell written on his own magical scroll from so many thousands of years ago. But there was always a way of undoing that which was impossible. He was a Tscheapwhetzar after all! His powers were meant for corrupting and breaking the rules!

In a pocket hidden in his robes was a mason jar filled with blood and with a spike that could be made into an earring. It was a hemalurgic spike made with Atium and hadium. The spike had been driven through a Returned who had been filled with Stormlight. A very tricky process that. The Tscheapwhetzar had personally killed the returned with the spike as it glowed red with the lightning power of his corruption; a villainous thing to do for certain. This spike would allow him to pin the essence of Darkstalker's soul, which he would take from Peacemaker, that which still remember deeper than flesh or magic, who he had been. He would rebuild the string as Kelsier once called it, and use another dragon from Drachonia to form Darkstalker's new body.

The corruption in the spike did even more. It would allow Darkstalker to draw on Breath and Stormlight to power his spells, instead of relying on his own soul. With some proper guidance, his soul would be untouched from temptations for power, and he could cast any spell he could hope for. In that state, it would be the perfect condition to test his resolve and ability to repent in the fires of a dangerous test.

Coming along on this test were Bill Cipher, acquired from his stone prison in Gravity Falls in a similar manner as what would happen with Darkstalker, and Huon, a High Executioner taken from the ranks of the Steel Inquisitors nearly two hundred years before the fall of the Final Empire. Of course, he could not also forget the Aizen, whom he had taken from the Soul Society as his Contract with Ichigo played out. It did his heart well to see him and Rukia come together at last, even if it was against Kubo's canon story. However, it was not a fully happy tale, with more war and with Ichigo having to share his heart… The Tscheapwhetzar was a villain….

There was also the Order, which had unexpectedly reached out to him and asked to join in on the venture. They said the Guardians had recommended they assist him. The truth of the matter was clear to him, the Guardians wanted the annoying organization with all of its stuffiness off their backs for a little while, and he was going to have to play babysitter. Well, he was going to get some usefulness out of them one way or another.

As he entered the NightWing village, he saw the funny transition the tribe was making from a normal day's routine to the old NightWing routine. Hope, once known as Foeslayer, was causing quite the trend with advocating it. She was Darkstalker's mother, kept alive for thousands of years by a cruel spell of ice and death. Now she was free, and happy. She would still remain happy, even after the ghastly visit that was coming. This was the canon after all. It should remain separate and free, while the Tscheapwhetzar and his allies ravaged the Realms in war to prevent the rise of an unspeakable tyrant.

Oh, he was ready. A dreadful, wonderful ecstasy flowed through him as he prepared his spells. The future was bright with blood and explosions. It was going to be dark too, and for that he needed a stalker of darkness and evil. He had further plans if Darkstalker succeeded. There was a strange world that he needed a foothold in. The dragon might just be the key… Plus, he would blend in with all the other dragons of course. A broad smile spread on the Tscheapwhetzar's face as his purpose pulled him to the home of Hope and Peacemaker.

Hope was still trying to get Peacemaker to adapt to the proper lifestyle of a NightWing. That meant sleeping during the day! She had finally got him to curl up among some lush leaves and sang him to sleep. She just wished that he would stay that way for more than an hour so she could get some much needed sleep herself. Just as she settled into her own bed, she saw a dark shadow swallow half her hut.

She wanted to scream, or even move for her son, but something held her in place. A massive, black dragon with red eyes and flowing gold veins stepped out of the darkness. He waved a deadly claw over Peacemaker and black residue floated from her son.

"What are you doing to my son," Hope managed to gasp.

"I am gathering some of the essence of Darkstalker," the strange dragon said softly.

"But Darkstalker is no more! He's Peacemaker now!"

"Shhh… You don't want to wake him. He is Peacemaker now, but Darkstalker's soul is still in there. I am gathering it so that I can rebirth your son," he explained to her.

Hope felt like someone had just rammed a blade into her gut. Why would anyone want to do that? She tried moving for her son, to save him, and save everyone, but again, she couldn't move.

"If it will bring you some comfort, I will remove any memory of this meeting. But even before that, know that Darkstalker will be given one more chance to become someone good. A dragon who chases away the darkness of evil. That is in his name, which you gave him. I will help him become that. I hope that someday you will see it."

The darkness was gathered in the palms of the large dragon, who then blew a rushing wind towards Hope. It blew away the darkness, the mysterious visitor, and any memory of what had just happened. What no one knew, what the Tscheapwhetzar had just invaded and taken his spoils. What came of it next, not even he knew for certain.

Miranda walked along the cracked outer hull of a white crystal ship. Her long, black hair flowed freely with the wind, sometimes obscuring her beautiful, freckled face and deep green eyes. She wore white robes and battered white armor. The ship she walked along was a truly magnificent ship, despite its damage. Like all other Guardian warships, it was shaped like a broadsword. It had the ability to morph its crystal body to form any kind and amount of gunnery needed for battle, and its own sword appearance wasn't just figurative. The entire ship could hold the people inside nicely in place at it swing through the air and cleaved enemies, ships, and even worlds in two. It was a vessel that should have easily cut its way through the Abominations and their hordes.

However, that had not been the case.

The Guardian was retreating. She had lost most of her army and all of her ships but this one. Survivors were scattered through the Tumblr Nebula and were being hunted down. She had been separated from Christine, the older Guardian who had accompanied her to secure the nebula against the enemy. Miranda now knew how her husband must have felt when… No, she would not dwell on that disaster. That terrible heartbreak. So much lost…

Miranda knew that help was coming, though. The Guardians would not let this defeat stand. The Tscheapwhetzar was also committing himself to the battle. She had even heard that the Order was getting involved. Well, every little bit helped. She had to remain positive, though that was difficult given her current circumstances.

 _Robert was right, the Abominations have no clear strategy here. They are swarming hundreds of worlds within the nebula and attacking threads and hubs of creation at random. Tumblr was already a mess, but they are even sloppier! No denying they are effective however_ , she grumbled inwardly.

There was a sudden message over the intercom pin attached to her flowing white robes, like a Star Fleet communicator. "Guardian Miranda! There is a world up ahead that is being attacked by Shadows, possibly even an Abomination. What are your orders?"

Miranda reacted immediately. "Hold our course and wait for me to get there!"

The crystal morphed, forming a hole, and she jumped back into the ship. Inside, it looked like a plush manor, despite the beating it had gotten in battle. She ran down the corridors with blinding speed. Yes, she could have gotten to the control room more quickly, but she needed to collect her thoughts before arriving. Were they capable of levying battle? Was it worth it if they could? The Guardians couldn't afford to lose one of their own. There were only eleven of them left by now.

 _Robert, I am so sorry for ever judging you harshly_. True, she had never said anything to him. But she had judged him nonetheless for his humiliating defeat. She now tasted it for herself. _Please forgive me. Oh Lord, please be merciful and let me and my own survive this day!_

Once in the control room, she saw that they had magically conjured an image of the world. It was turning gray and steadily becoming black. Shadows like carnivorous ants and celebrating demons danced and burrowed along the planet's surface. It was unrecognizable. They had already been long too late to help save whatever it had once been.

"What was that world," she asked quietly.

An officer clad in royal blue with golden sashes answered crisply, "It was a crossover world entertaining any story that merged with _Steven Universe_ , my Lady."

Miranda had heard about the show, but had never bothered learning about it. She still grimaced and ordered that the ship steer clear of the carnage. As her orders were obeyed, she saw a monstrous thing rise up from the cracking shell of the planet. A great beast with six wings and many yellow eyes rose up. An Abomination.

"Turn on whatever audio we have," Miranda commanded to the orderlies around the magical projection of the dying world.

A terrible voice boomed from all around caused even her to shake. "We kill so that life may be taken into the bosom of the Empty God and be made anew! Soon all will be brought before him, the great King, and made one and perfect!"

Miranda found herself transfixed with what she saw and heard, she wasn't able to pull away as the yellow eyes turned on _her_ and the voice spoke again, "Tell the rest of the Guardians that they are not worthy of the Devil's Pact. We shall claim all its powers and merge Reality and Imagination into a perfect whole. First, we must cull the unworthy. You are all going to die by our hands!"

"Shut that off and get us out of here now! We need to find Christine or anyone, who can help us," Miranda yelled, trying to keep the panic from her voice.

How could those Abominations know? How did they know about the Pact? And they wanted to merge Imagination and Reality! Such an act would have consequences beyond anything she could ream. Very, very bad consequences. She needed to find safe harbor and regroup quickly. The other Guardians would need to know about what she had just heard and learned.


	2. Needed Explanantions

This crossover story will have a lot of characters from different books, shows, manga, and movies. If you do not know anything about Gravity Falls by Alex Hirsch, Bleach by Tite Kubo, Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, Deadpool created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza and owned by Marvel, and Wings of Fire by Tui Sutherland I highly recommend that you check out these series. Yes, some of them are very long (looking at you Bleach and Mistborn!), but all of them are worth it! If you however want to take the spark notes version and continue on with this epic tale, allow me to help you with some helpful links. Fair warning, MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD, AND THROUGHOUT THE VILIIAINOUS VIGILANTES!

Bill Cipher - wiki/Bill_Cipher

Sosuke Aizen - wiki/S%C5%8Dsuke_Aizen

Steel Inquisitors - /wiki/Steel_Inquisitor

Darkstalker - wiki/King_Darkstalker

Deadpool - /universe/Deadpool_(Wade_Wilson)#axzz4qVWZylRz (Or just watch the movie, because that is what people will from now on reference. Haha!)

Other stories that come in might need their own introductions and author's notes as needed. For the time being, the next big thing to point out is that many of the characters and powers are original creations by the author! This means that a lot may seem unfamiliar, and if the odd use of words in the prologue was confusing, I apologize. If you kept reading, I thank and congratulate you! You are in for a real treat, and here I will provide some definitions that will help make the reading easier and that you can refer to at your leisure.

Places:

Realms – The multiverse of imaginations. Imagination is not just a thing individual to each person, but it is a place where everyone's collective thought pools. Entire universes exist here, and we pull from them at will to create things on Earth. In return, we add to the Realms as we live, share, and create.

Origin – Earth. This is also called Reality a lot of the time.

Stars – Throughout the Realms, there are Stars. They look just like suns as we know them, but you can fly into them without getting hurt and enter a pocket universe which contains all the thoughts and creations of an individual person in Reality.

Starlines – These are currents throughout the Realms, which link people together and allow for ideas to flow between people. People in the Realms use the Starlines to travel from place to place quickly. You can use the Starlines to trace thoughts back to their original source, or to send new ideas and people out to other Stars.

Outliers – worlds and galaxies that exist independent of Stars. They can also be places like the Tumblr Nebula where the ideas of millions of people collide to create a space where all these creations and thoughts can coexist.

Tumblr Nebula, or Tumblrverse – a massive cosmic cloud that contains all the shared thoughts on Tumblr. What is written and shared on Tumblr takes multiple forms within the cloud. It is a very difficult place to navigate!

Groups:

Accursed – Descendants of those who made a pact with the Devil to gain power over others. He gave them the power to infiltrate other's minds via the Realms of Imagination. Their powers include preserving, corrupting, stealing, obliterating, devouring, reversing, and nullifying, among others. There were eight orders of Accursed, but only the Guardians and Tscheapwhetzars remain in modern times.

Guardians – Members of the Accursed who have tried to repent for the sins of their forbearers by dedicating their lives to serving God and protecting the Realms from evils that would devour people's individuality and ability to create. They are the most powerful of the Accursed. The all dress in White Armor and maintain there must be balance in the Realms and preservation of original thoughts.

Tscheapwhetzar – This once large group of Accursed all but whipped itself out, until there was one. He goes by many names. Many refer to him as either World Eater or the Virus. He has the power to infiltrate any world through a Door, a means of traveling other than via Starlines. He can corrupt anything to his will. He and the Guardians are usually at odds, because he collects people and powers from throughout the Realms into his empire, but they are working together to fight the Abominations.

The Empty God, or Abominable King – The mysterious leader and creator of the Abominations. No one is certain whether he has personally involved himself in the war yet.

Abominations – Creatures made from the dead bodies and weapons of Accursed. They exist solely to serve the King of Abominations. They wield all the powers of the Accursed who make up their bodies, and they even retain some memories and skills of their "hosts."

Shadows – Beings and worlds who have been Devoured, and now serve the will of the Abominations and Empty God.

Acolytes – People from throughout the Realms who have not been Devoured, but have pledged themselves to serving the King of Abominations.

The Order – a group of Lords and Knights who despise the idea of anything crossing the Starlines that shouldn't. They are known for their hatred of crossovers and senseless fan art. They have a rigid view on how imagination should be used. This rigidness puts them at odds with the Guardians, though they revere them.

Lords – People from the Origin who can crossover in their sleep and can use the powers of imagination in a nearly limitless way. However, they are not as strong as the Accursed in terms of raw power. However, raw strength is not what always wins out in the end.

Knights – People from the Origin who can crossover to the Realms in their sleep. They lack the power of the Lords and have only limited control over their own imaginations. This means that they hone a specific set of skills and abilities, rather than being fully versatile.

Terminology:

Accursed Powers – There are seven elements to an Accursed's power. When all seven are properly combined, it gives them abilities equivocal to a god's. BELIEF, to have full confidence in yourself, your power, and the outcome of your actions. SEEING, to perceive the course of your actions and to plot them out; a well laid story gives their powers a greater hold can overturn entire worlds. WILL, the power to shape all things to your desire along any kind of medium, often seen as the spark of inspiration and creation. CONCENTRATION, to be focused, otherwise your actions will go awry or have unforeseen consequences. PRESENCE, a physical representation of how you see yourself and your power, which is often what is used when in a fight. KNOWLEDGE, which allows you to create the stories and processes necessary to carry out what you imagine. TRUTH, understanding how the Realms work and how each world is different and how its mechanics, magical or not function, which allows you to use them or oppose them in the most efficient way possible. (There is much more to say on these elements, but they will be explained in further detail in the _Legend of the Ten Lords_ book series.)

Corrupting – changing the worlds, or stories, within a Star. This is a power attributed to the Tscheapwhetzars, who corrupt stories outright to their own ends, or they make versions of them, by creating corrupted timelines of them.

Devouring – total takeover of a story of person, and changing them to wholly serve, usually mindlessly, the will of the one who devoured. Devouring almost always entails eating the victim, who then materializes after digestion near the one who devoured.

A quick explanation as to how Darkstalker can be brought back, and how his powers are upgraded through the Tscheapwhetzar's interference. Hadium is a metal that absorbs power from its environment and the ones who use it. It can therefore be embedded with special powers. Atium is a magical metal that allows the user to see all possible variations of the future. Hemalurgy is the power to take abilities from others by putting a stake of metal through their hearts and ramming it into the body of the one receiving the ability. It has been revealed that it can be used to also put spirits into bodies and to grant humans the ability to see into other realms of existence, specifically the Cognitive Realm. (Read up more in Mistborn to learn about this. It is fascinating!)

By combining Hadium and Atium into a Hemalurgic spike, Darkstalker's soul can be put into another body and his ability to see the future is strengthened and the hadium steals and amplifies the powers of Stormlight and Breath that have been taken. (For more on that, read Warbreaker and the Stormlight Archive, both written by Brandon Sanderson.) Youtuber My Name is Byf also has a fantastic video on the properties of hadium. For more information, and to check out a really entertaining and informative channel, please follow this link: watch?v=LnubEnJGWIA

Hopefully that makes things clearer than mud for the moment. You will learn more as you go along. Remember that this crossover will be pulling in a ton of other stories. Those characters I have highlighted are the main characters and their stories contribute the most to the different magics and philosophies that will be used in this series.

Thank you for reading, and I hope that you will enjoy everything that follows!


	3. Part 1:1 - Landfall, Fog of War

Writer walked along the outer hull gunnery of the _W.B.S. Star Eater_ , the Tscheapwhetzar's flagship in the Tumblrverse campaign. It was massive battle cruiser with hundreds of guns and nearly ten thousand combatants on board. Its style was similar to the Republic's battleships from the _Star Wars_ universe, but it was equipped with not only bigger and badder guns, but also sported outer energy shields, and it was riddled with hatches to allow ships and soldiers from the inside to pour out like ants from un upturned anthill. Droids and warriors of all races and classes walked along similar batteries and even on the hull itself, all eyes peeled for trouble. They were passing through clouds of comment threads to reach a planet that embodied Tumblr's connectivity: a world like a sponge with holes that transported you to wherever you needed or wanted to go.

Four other ships flanked the Star Eater, all of them War Beat Ships of the same make but smaller from the Dark Pit, the Tscheapwhetzar's personal, unfathomable pocket dimension. Writer mentally cataloged as much as he could, reminding himself that he needed to write this all down, what he observed. The Order had woefully little on the Tscheapwhetzar and his armies. They would need as much information as possible to be of better use to the Guardians and to one day take down this terror of the Realms.

Trailing Writer was a small group of scribes from the Order who would also write down as much as they saw and report back to Madame with their findings. Three guards in white and blue robes brought with the rear with graceful halberds in hand and blasters hidden under their robes. Writer was excited to be leading such an important mission! He had always been passed up for jobs, because he was so interested in the mechanics of the Realms and had been known to stop and talk with beings from all over. It was seen as unorthodox within the Order to do, since they advocated total separation and purely natural exchanges of ideas between people in reality, rather than here. He personally felt that in order to do a job right, he needed to have all the information possibly available, and what better way to amass that than interview?

He turned to the scribes and said, "Watch those batteries over there closely. I have seen soldiers jump from that ship to this, using jetpacks and lines of energy to keep them tethered between ships. I am not sure how they made those lines. It could be useful information in understanding the designs and how they conduct warfare in the sky. Every detail counts."

They murmured assent and one took out a notebook to start scribbling things down. It amazed Writer that the Tscheapwhetzar, who was personally aboard the Star eater, would allow him and his people to have such free access to anywhere on the ship. He wasn't sure if was boasting, arrogance, intimidation, or sloppiness on the Accursed's part, but Writer appreciated the freedom to wander. It kept him from being too close to Ricardo.

Revolver Ricardo was his personal creation. A vigilante whose family had been brutally murdered by magical thugs who were simply passing through and robing the neighborhood. Ricardo had been written to take matters into his own hands, blaming the police and the criminal underworld for what happened. He waged a one-man war against everyone and anything he felt had in even the smallest way contributed to his family's murder. While that made for some fun, dark storytelling, meeting the man who wielded magical revolvers and slew all that stood in his way had freaked him out. Ricardo was even broodier and nastier than he had written.

 _I don't remember really wanting him to be this bad_ , Writer had thought. _I wanted him to have a tragic background and to not really care, so all inhibitions would be out the window. It would make for great action and some badass dialogue between him and his victims. But seeing him now, I wish I hadn't made him the way I did._

A velociraptor in a mesh armor with thick plates on its side and a blaster rifle over its shoulder bumped into him. He caught the lizard giving him a glowering look. It was clear that the Order was not wanted on the ship, even if they were given absolute freedom to explore.

 _What is it with the Tscheapwhetzar and dinosaurs? Did he have some kind of fetish with them as a child?_

It wasn't just the raptors Writer had seen everywhere, but also Pteranodons, both real and giant machines like them, flying all over the place, swooping in and out of the cruisers. A Stegosaurus in the loading bay. There were mechanical, horned T-Rex looking dinos he had seen running around in the sky, which a goggle bespectacled orc had called Carnotaurus. Writer might have found the choice to used extinct lizards as warriors until he had noticed that their phisology had also been changed. The dinosaurs all sported opposable thumbs of sorts, and their muscles were reworked to be more human, allowing them to function more like humanoids. Yup, the man who had destroyed tons of worlds and struck fear in hearts of countless millions had a soft spot for dinosaurs.

With his thinking about dinosaurs, he watched a squadron of nine Pteranodons flew out of a hatch nearby. The motley gathering of orcs, elves, men, raptors, and what Writer positive was a Smurf cheered the group as they flew off. For being at war, the Tscheapwhetzar's soldiers were in good humor. Even the presence of the Order on their flagship couldn't dampen their spirits forever.

As Writer continued on his way and enjoyed the cool breeze of the air rushing past, red robed figure approached him. He had met these fire monks when he first came aboard the _Star Eater_. He was surprised to find out that there were from the _Where's Waldo_ books. Again, the motives for why these people were collected by the Tscheapwhetzar perplexed him. The fire monks didn't really communicate with words, but with feelings and thoughts that came to your mind in their presence. The message he quickly gleaned was that he was being summoned to a special meeting with the Tscheapwhetzar and the others who would be looking for the Quill of Inspiration. If he so desired, his entourage could accompany him.

Writer quickly selected one scribe, a short and cute girl with curly red hair, to follow him. He needed at least one witness to report back to Madame how well he was doing when even in the presence of the World Eater, one of the Tscheapwhetzar's many nicknames. They followed the fire monk who then passed them off to an elf with flanged, black armor and a high helm with dragon wings. As Writer and his scribe, whose name he was sure was Gina, followed the elf he thought about the Tscheapwhetzar's many names. Rumor had it that he went usually by nicknames and false identities to hide his real one from the Guardians. Others said so that it would be harder for anyone to track him. Some joked that it was because his real name was an embarrassment, and so he chose what sounded like cool and frightening aliases. World Eater and Grinning Death were popular ones to call him. The Virus was another one, which made Writer's skin crawl. He had read into the history of what made the Virus; it was nasty and horrifying.

The name, though, that the Tscheapwhetzar had asked Writer to address him by wasn't too odd. He had asked to be called Karl, with a K. Then he joked that he enjoyed the German name Karl der Grosse more than Charlemagne the Great. So for whatever the real reason was, the Tscheapwhetzar on this particular mission was Karl, though Writer highly doubted that was the Accursed's real name.

These whirled through Writer's mind as he followed the high helmed elf through metallic corridors and by small patrols of guards and troops. The ship was well lit and looked to have been scrubbed clean by house elves. Conduits and computer jacks were at regular intervals through the halls, and Writer was certain he saw digimon wandering across the screens. He wondered what other video game characters or internet beings strolled through the Tscheapwhetzar's computers. He continued to catalogue things in his mind. It was a crazy mosaic of characters and beasts from scores of different stories and Stars all in one place. A Comic Con mobilized for war.

Writer and Gina were led not into a conference room, but a giant hangar bay. The reason was quickly made clear as a massive black dragon with silver, sparkling scales loomed over them. Oddly, the light around him bent to form a light rainbow like an aura. At a picnic table sat an odd assortment of people. Writer immediately recognized Sosuke Aizen. He leaned on the table with on elbow and nursed some tea in his free hand. He wore black, loose robes over a tight fitting white suit. There was then a steel inquisitor sitting rigid like a statue and frowning. Lucifer from _Supernatural_ balanced his folding chair on its back legs and sported some nice shades. The Tscheapwhetzar was eating an apple and was also lounging in his seat. What made his stomach flip was seeing Ricardo leaning against a pile of crates and eyeing everyone with a glare that bespoke death. He was stroking his gun handles, and Writer worried that there would soon be some bodies on the floor.

"And that makes just about everyone," the Tscheapwhetzar said around his apple. "Gentlemen, meet Juan and Gina. Juan is from the Origin and Gina is a creation of Madame, or better known to others as Changying."

Writer's, Juan's, eyes widened to the size of saucers as he realized the Tscheapwhetzar knew his name. He wasn't sure if Changying was the right name for Madame, but something told him that it was. He stammered as he tried to find the right words for his identity being revealed.

"Stop choking on your own tongue and pull up a seat, both you."

Karl, the Tscheapwhetzar, waved a hand and two folding chairs appeared out of thin air to clang on the ground. Gina gave Juan a worried look. He was still stunned, but managed a jerky nod. They took their seat around the rickety table, and all eyes honed in on them.

The dragon laughed, "Yes Gina, all of your mistress' secrets are known to us. Well, at least to me."

"That is to be expected, though, isn't it," Lucifer cackled in a voice that didn't sound like it belonged to him. "Tear Drops, your gift is unsettling. I like that!"

"And your insane brain makes you interesting enough not to eat. Though I think you'd upset my stomach if I tried," the dragon responded.

Juan looked up again and regarded the dragon with a wary and learned eye. He had silver scales like tear drops at the corners of his eyes. He had white bands where the wings met the rest of the body. The dragon held itself proudly, and there was a cocky attitude playing around his face and grim smile.

"You said almost everyone," Juan began.

"Because we were waiting for me," a voice called from the door.

Juan turned to see Deadpool stride in.

"Ryan Renolds," Juan couldn't help bust asking. "Really?"

"Nah, he could only wish! Ryan's got nothing on the real deal here," Deadpool said with a bow and then picked a wedgie.

"Your Order demanded one more member to our little party. Someone to shake the operation up," Karl said with a wide smile and then laughed. "But we caught on fast enough. From there, I made a Contract with Deadpool here."

"Chimichangas for life! Enough tacos and toquilla to drown an elephant! Do you know the wealth that this Cheep-ama-Jig has given me!?"

"Sadly, not enough to keep your mouth shut for more than ten second," the inquisitor spat.

"They room next to each other," Lucifer explained with a giggle.

"I foresee that he will be annoying us all to no end before we are through," the dragon grumbled.

"And I foresee that you will all not make it without me," Deadpool said, taking a taco out of nowhere. "I've read the script."

Aizen perked up at mention of that. Deadpool took his tea and dunked his taco in it before inserting it into his mouth. The one-time Soul Reaper narrowed his eyes and watched the made mutant coldly.

"Enough of this. Unfortunately, we are pressed for time, otherwise I would enjoy seeing where this was headed," Karl interrupted. "Quickly, introductions are in order. Juan, and Gina, everyone, like I said, from the Order. The dragon here is Darkstalker, back in the flesh and ready for action."

"It's not really his flesh, is it," Lucifer mocked.

The dragon snarled at him. "You're one to talk! This body is more so mine that that corpse you flaunt like a new necklace!"

"I'm going to have to catch all of you up to speed with what the kids find hip to say these days," Lucifer muttered.

 _What do they mean by wearing dead bodies?_

"Don't ask," Darkstalker said, blowing out a puff of smoke.

Juan's head jerked up at that comment.

"Yes, I can read your thoughts," the dragon said smugly. "Not a lot up there, I'm afraid, other than memorizing some stuff. It might make you a good student, Juan, but it won't make you a good soldier." He leaned in closer and his hot breath washed uncomfortably over Juan. "Maybe you should just pack up and go. Leave the important stuff to the capable people, or in this case, dragon in the room."

"Darkstalker," the Tscheapwhetzar said in a warning tone, and the dragon pulled back. "The other Gestorbenderkörperträger there is none other than our own Bill Cipher. He's the veteran in this group, already having worked with me on a number of jobs."

"I'm pretty certain you could read all about it on a fanfic called Twins of Essence," Deadpool said, reading a newspaper he had pulled from who knew where. "That's where he got the meat suit."

 _Bill Cipher is in there!? I would not have expected that!_

"And of course, you know Deadpool, sporting Ryan Renold's voice for this mission."

"At your service," he threw a sloppy salute.

Karl indicated to the inquisitor and said, "This is Huon, a High Executioner for the Lord Ruler. A very, very rare find."

 _High Executioner? That is not a term I recognize._

"Don't speak of me like some kind of pet you bought at the skaa market," the man spat. "I am not your property."

"Sorry, forgive me. Force of habit," Karl said airily. "And then we have Revolver Ricardo. A man on the hunt for justice, and with no rules."

When the Tscheapwhetzar addressed him, Ricardo jumped a little. That was also out of character for the man Juan had created. He wondered what Karl had done or said to him, because he saw fear, yes fear, in his creation's eyes. Ricardo's fingers twitched towards his guns. Juan once again snapped his head up, remembering that there was a mind reader in the group. Darkstalker just managed to pull a face of unconcerned boredom, but Juan now knew that the dragon has stolen his secret. He began to sweat, soaking his armpits.

"And last, but not least, is Sosuke Aizen."

Aizen stood and bowed to them all slightly. "It is a pleasure to meet such a colorful group and to work with you on this venture."

"You mean that is nice to stretch your legs again after being stuck on wooden throne for nearly two years," Bill Cipher cackled. "How many splinters do you have up your butt to make you this rigid Aizy?"

Bill Cipher pulled the shades down, and Juan could see the yellow eyes and slit pupils of _Gravity Falls_ ' greatest villain. Aizen gave Bill a cool look and then sat down.

"Now, let's get to the mission before we reach our destination," Karl said, before taking another bite of his apple. He waved a hand golden sparkles flew from it. They coalesced to form a long pen with a large feather. It had a long and thick shaft of wood and a very sharp nip like a spear. "This is the Quill of Inspiration. It is a tool that allows the user to rewrite any story and to reshape any world that has been made in the Origin. It lacks the ability to shape worlds that exist outside of the Stars, but what influence it does have is formidable. Imagine it, anything that has ever happened in any story can be changed."

At mention of this, Juan noticed Ricardo look up with a greedy gleam creeping into his eyes. He could also feel a bad vibe in the room. The Tscheapwhetzar was giving away too much information to a group of fictional characters who might at the drop of a hat turn on them and use the Quill!

"Stop! You do you even realize what you are telling these people? We have a group of villains in this room! Villains! A chaos demon, a traitor, a dragon who I suspect did something evil at some point-"

"Hey! I only had the best interests of my world and my tribe at heart," Darkstalker retorted heatedly. "And who are you to speak, hm? What with your-"

"That's enough!"

The Tscheapwhetzar was up in a flash and red lightning flowed down his arms and out his fingers. The bolts created two large hands, one pinned Darkstalker to the ceiling and the other strangled Juan in the air. Gina cried out and Bill started rubbing his hands together excitedly.

"Oh, this is where it starts getting GOOD!"

"Both of you will slow your rolls and Shut! UP! Darkstalker! We've discussed this already, and you saw the soul reader for yourself. I saved your soul and I am giving you a second chance. Don't make me regret it! And you, Juanny-boy. The one who chose the piss poor code name of Writer, your powers are nothing compared to the others in this room. Get that through your thick, misguided skull, put your dick back where it belongs, and remember! You are here to tag along, while I give the mission and lead it in my way."

Juan was in shock. The lightning was coursing through his entire being, but it didn't hurt. But he felt violated. It was like the Tscheapwhetzar had inserted his very Presence and soul into his and was holding him in place. He knew that with a thought, the robbed monster could snap his neck or kill him a hundred different ways. His eyes darted about and he took in how the others just sat back. Bill looked expectant. Even Darkstalker seemed resigned.

"He started it," the dragon protested weakly.

"And I'm finishing it," Karl hissed.

"Fine. I already agreed to your Contract, if you promise me that I will be with Clearsight when this is over."

"I never go back on my word," The Tscheapwhetzar promised. "A man is nothing if he can't keep his word."

He then lowered Juan and Darkstalker not entirely gently back to the floor. He gave them thunderous looks.

"I am sharing all this _sensitive_ information, because they deserve to know the truth and the whole plan! I am choosing to trust them, because I believe that some great good can come out of it. Also, we are at war! If you can't bite the bullet, then stay on the sidelines and don't complain! Also, learn how to control your thoughts better, otherwise Darkstalker has full permission to go to town on your sorry hide."

Juan's pride was stung by Karl's words, and he sheepishly got back into his seat. Gina reached out and took his wrist. Her hand was trembling fiercely; he was amazed he wasn't.

"I really wanted to see someone get turned inside out," Bill said sadly. He snapped his fingers and a box exploded in the corner of the hanger.

"Now getting back to the matter at hand," the Tscheapwhetzar said, snapping his own fingers and undoing the damage. "The Quill of Inspiration, as my lovely sparkles have illustrated, is not a regular pen or quill. Honestly, there is very little known about its origins or even where it might be other than what conspiracy theorists in the Tumblrverse have had to say. It was created as fan theories and head canons became more prevalent on the internet and the desires of countless people to have stories go according to their will made the Quill come into being.

"From there, it was discovered by some mysterious people who understood the overwhelming danger of such an instrument, and hid it. Why they didn't just outright destroy it is beyond me."

"Because of plot," Deadpool quipped in a sing song voice. "You should know this by Mr. Identity Crisis, that a good story has to have something that spurned it, that really would never happen in real life. Case in point, they would have used it already to give me a prettier mug. But no! They had to skip out on that!"

"Look pal, only I should be giving the witty comment around here," Bill protested.

"Well get in line, One Eye. Right behind the twelve-year-old children who defeated you."

Bill snapped his fingers once again, and Deadpool twisted grotesquely, hos bones snapping and tendons ripping. As blood pooled all over the floor, the Merc with a Mouth kept chuckling, and soon he regenerated and was back to normal. Bill gave the other fictional character a devilish look.

"Oh, the games we will play, Cancer Face. The games we will play."

Juan saw Karl rubbing his temples and muttering to himself.

"So, for plot reasons, the Quill hasn't been destroyed and its whereabouts have been hidden from the rest of the Realms. Now the Abominations, creations of one calling himself the King, are trying to steal it. Recently, they have been raiding worlds all over Imagination. Many of these worlds they Devour, but some they don't. There is no real pattern to it, but intel from the Guardians says that they take trophies. The Quill would most certainly be one of the greatest trophies they could claim. Luckily, we can beat them to it."

Karl waved a hand once more and the sparks changed to many colors and reassembled themselves to form a glowing city built in a tree, a Rubik's Cube, and an old 90s computer.

"The conspiracy theorists needed money for some balls zapping machinery to send them back in time to find out who really killed Kennedy, thinking it was Elvis before he rendezvoused with Michael Jackson- "

"True story," Bill said.

"-And so they sold all their knowledge for wealth, which that knowledge was then deposited in a secure vault that connects banks and income sources not only throughout the Tumblr Nebula, but even throughout the Realms. That vault has yet to be found, but its contents can be accessed. Information of this nature is highly, highly secured, and will be difficult to get. There are three ways I readily know where you can obtain this information: The High Elven Tree, the Great Brain, and the Mother Board from the show Cyberchase.

"You will go the High Elven Tree from Portal World 3-A28, which is our current heading. There is a portal that will easily connect you with the tree. The High Elven Tree is a great library of knowledge, and the elves there will be the least dangerous of the three options. They might not be willing to give you the info, but under the right conditions, they'll yield. You must retrieve the information as to the Quill's location quickly. You will then do whatever is necessary to get it and bring it to me."

"Even the best laid plans can go awry fast," Huon said, chewing his words. "And this plan feels very open to me. A lot can go wrong."

"True, which is why I am giving you all a lot of freedom in deciding how you will carry out this mission," Karl said. "I have also made sure that you will all be well equipped and funded for this journey. Darkstalker."

"Hm? Oh, right," the dragon said. "So this is where you hid it all."

Juan completely missed what just passed between the two, but soon the dragon was tearing open a cargo container and pulled out a very large bundle and smaller ones. The dragon's pack, which he quickly fastened to himself was a large, leather sack, studded and plated with metal. It had a large strap that he could use to fit the pack to his chest. He tossed the smaller ones to the rest of the group.

"You gave me a bag that is covered in metal," Darkstalker complained.

"It is a precaution," Karl replied.

"You don't trust me?"

"I trust that you have already looked into Huon's mind and know something of his powers. I trust that with the proper motivators, you'll play along. And I trust that when the time comes and the chips are down, you will make the right choice," the Tscheapwhetzar said confidently.

The dragons snorted and undid his pack. Bright light glowed from within and Darkstalker actually gasped.

"So much power," he murmured.

"And yes, I even trust you with that much Stormlight," Karl smiled. "Now then, as you all rummage about in your packs, you will find alongside food, potions, Allomantic vials, weapons, and cash cards, that there are some neat metal spheres."

Juan got his pack and looked inside. Sure enough, there was a ball that looked like the map from Treasure Planet. Next to it was a tablet looking device.

"Those spheres will allow you to call me to your location in the case of an emergency. I will answer right away. This is to be used _the moment_ you have the Quill. There are also tablets in your packs, that will allow you to patch into all the information I have on just about anything. It will also allow you to speak with mentors I have selected for all of you, who will give you advice when you need it and help guide you. Your own pocket Master Splinter."

"I'm tossing this the moment you aren't looking," Bill said.

"I can't use that," Huon spat. "It is not something I can read or see properly."

"Which is why you have ear buds," Karl said as the listening device rose like a cobra before the charmer. "You can listen to everything you want to hear. And there is an instruction manual in there that you should be able to read, even with those stakes through your eyes."

"The man with no eyes was wrong," Ricardo said. "You have thought of everything, Amigo. It is just clear that there is more you are keeping back from us. I wonder if you will tell us what it is before things get away from you?"

Before Karl could answer, there was a call over the intercom for the Tscheapwhetzar to come to the helm immediately. He opened a portal in the air to the ship's bridge. Juan could see the pilots and officers just beyond the swirling haze that made up the portal.

The Tscheapwhetzar was already going stiff before he passed through. "Get your stuff ready. Juan, get your posse down here immediately. We'll be making landfall very soon, and it's going to be bumpy."

With that the portal closed, and Juan hurriedly told Gina to fetch the rest of the Order who were aboard.

Darkstalker looked distant for a moment and then said with a toothy grin, "We are in for a real treat."

"Scales, you and I are going to get along fabulously," Bill said, his pack hanging askew on his shoulders and his arms held ridiculously at downward right angles. "Your precognition and mind reading will take us far! Stick with the guy who has all the plans, and everything will work out as smoothly as a dead baby joke!"

"So, you have those powers," Aizen said with a pleasant smile. "That is fascinating. Is this treat something you have glimpsed? Is the future truly something that can be altered based on actions and foreknowledge, or is it set in stone?"

"Those are quite some academic questions," Darkstalker replied. "Why the great interest?"

"Life is all about gaining information, through which one gains power. I am sure you would understand," Aizen said. "I did some research into you earlier and learned about your animus powers. Whatever you can conceive of with your mind you make happen, short of bringing people back from the dead. The possibilities are tantalizing to contemplate. Maybe you and I can experiment together."

"That would be great," Darkstalker said carefully.

Ricardo snorted. "Just my damn luck to be stuck with a bunch of villains and evil doers. You had all best be careful. The way I see things, you are all expendable, and I have no problem putting a bullet in your heads if you slow me down and get in the way of me returning home."

"Because you have such an important mission killing random folks," Bill laughed. "Don't get me wrong, I think the whole affair is wonderful! More death, I say!"

"There is nothing humorous about my family's murder," Ricardo raged, pulling out a gun.

It flew from his grip and clattered a dozen feet away as Huon sneered, "And you better not get too cocky. Any of you! You are all more vulnerable than you know, even if you didn't have a metal bag, you monster."

Darkstalker crouched low and gave a sneer of his own. "You would find me very, very hard to kill. You on the other hand, you might give me some indigestion if I ate you. It would probably be better to smash you flat."

"Gentlemen, please, let's calm down," Aizen said, raising his hands. "We have been afforded a wonderful opportunity to explore and network rewarding relationships with this Tscheapwhetzar. I am not sure of your own circumstances, but I was taken from my own world at a time when so much change was about to occur and I could not influence it. Being here, gives me the chance to return a true power player in much grander games than these. I have a lot to lose by not allowing this mission to succeed. I am sure it goes the same for all of you, even you, Ricardo."

Revolver's eyes widened momentarily, and then thinned dangerously.

Aizen continued, "So, let's make the most of this, and learn to work together. I am sure Darkstalker will be generous with the finding he and I make, and I will be there to support you all as best I can."

"Aizy, tying to be the peace maker. Why does this not bode well," Deadpool asked.

"I am inclined to agree with Canker Mouth over here," Bill said. "There's something off about you Aizen."

"Because he is a-," Ricardo began, but his words were drowned out by the bellow of guns.

Juan, who had been fascinated with the conversation between the villains and vigilantes jumped as the sudden noise. He now understood why Karl had tensed. Battle must have been on the horizon, but why didn't he say anything.

"Because you would have freaked out, otherwise," Darkstalker laughed at Juan.

"You are going to have stop doing that," Juan shouted over the guns. He felt like he was going to go deaf.

"Learn to block me out then. Oh wait, you have no real powers other than to memorize and write fast, _Writer_. So forget about it," the dragon said, waving an unconcerned claw.

Juan pulled loose his blaster and leveled it at Darkstalker. "I can take you on. The bigger they come, the harder they fall!"

"Go ahead, take a shot," Darkstalker taunted. "Prove to everyone that you can contribute to your precious Order's cause. Don't be the weakling they all believe you to be. Prove that this isn't a pity mission for you!"

Juan found himself pulling the trigger, even though he hadn't intended to. The blast hit the dragon, but his scales were unscathed.

"See!? You can't touch me, little scavenger. You'll never beat me."

"Having fun?" Karl returned and immediately explained, "Shadows and an Abomination just came through one of the portals on the planet. They are fighting someone, so we are moving in to help. Your job is to get to that portal the leads to the High Elven Tree. It is marked with a large golden tree that has a black tower over it. Understood? We will be pulling up soon and the cargo hatch will open. Darkstalker, fly everyone down to the ground and locate the portal quickly. Bill, that is where you come in!"

"Righty-o, oh fearless leader," Bill said, snapping a sloppy salute.

"I hope your Order gets here quickly," Karl commented to Juan.

"Wha!?"

The sound of the fighting suddenly lessened, and the Tscheapwhetzar said, "I hope your gang gets here soon. You have mere minutes."

Soon, the rest of the Order spilled into the room, gasping for air. They had dashed over in a mad sprint. They were all shaken by the sudden battle. Some of them had even been outside when it had begun. All too soon they were back in the thick of it as the cargo hatch opened. Juan's jaw dropped.

The battle had just started and the different forces were already mixing it up. Shadows ran along the ground and then formed into all kinds of things: soldiers from World War II, orcs in monstrous mech suits, tall bird-headed warriors, elves with demon wings, zombies, and just about everything imaginable. They were firing spells of darkness, bullets, shells and bombs and the battle cruisers. The barrage was returned in full by the battleships, and soldiers swung like buccaneers on energy lines into the fray as fighters flew over and dropped their payloads.

Juan's quickly repented of all the negative things he had thought about the dinosaurs. The raptors were merciless killing machines, every inch of them, as the larger dino plunged into the fray like freight trains, clearing paths for other troops to pout in and establish footholds. The Shadows fought well, too. Each victim them laid hand on found him or herself being tore apart like meat in a grinder. The stench of fresh murder rose through air and smog choked out the stars.

"You were slow getting on, enjoy the express flight," Bill screamed with delight.

Juan saw that the villains were all aboard Darkstalker's back and he flew out of the hold. The Tscheapwhetzar gave Juan an amused look as he and the rest of the Order were ripped into the air by their belts. Karl shouted something in an unknown language, the harsh words crashing over the entire battlefield as the Order flew unwilling after Darkstalker. The meaning was lost of the words was lost on Juan, but the Tscheapwhetzar's men understood and they shouted back in one voice.

Wings erupted from Karl's back and he took off after Juan and shouted, "This is your chance to prove yourself Juan! Make sure that they find the Quill. Bring them all back home and the Quill, and you'll be the hero!"

He then dove down into a churning mass of Shadows and they blew up in flames. Juan caught a glimpse of him drawing his legendary sword, the Serpent's Blade. Red lightning spilled out like flood and Shadows were torn to shreds by jagged claws and squeezed of existence by snakes made of electrical bolts. He knew what was going on. Karl was unleashing his Presence, using his raw power to dominate the battle and Will his enemies to their own brutal, yet creative deaths. A figure of black smoke rocketed to the ground beside Karl and their swords flashed as they connected. The resulting blast blinded Juan long enough that he didn't see the ground before hitting it.

"If you aren't going to listen and do what you're told, then what good are you but to be baggage," Bill laughed. "And on the 11 o'clock ride to Freakville, we have no need for baggage!"

"He made me leader," Juan coughed. "The Tscheapwhetzar, he made me the leader of this group."

He was glad he said that, because as his eyes focused, it was clear that Bill, Darkstalker, and Huon were ready to murder him.

"He speaks the truth," the dragon said grudgingly.

"Shhhh! Don't say that! If you hadn't, we could have pretended we didn't know!" Bill cried. "We still could, come to think of it. Hahahaha!"

"Give it a rest, and give us instead a way out, triangle man," Deadpool said, as he swung his swords through a Shadow that had just appeared.

"I concur with the mercenary," Aizen said calmly as he shot a spell from his fingers, consuming another Shadow.

"Alright, alright, alright! Yeesh! Keep your panties out of a bunch, will ya?"

Bill got his body up and ran with it awkwardly towards an arch. Juan now saw that there were arches everywhere. Some of them stood erect, others were lopsided, and some lay on the ground, but they all opened to somewhere. Stray Shadows plunged themselves down some holes or flung themselves through random arches.

"Quickly Bill," Juan insisted. He checked his own people, and was glad to see them all accounted for, even if they were bruised. "How did we fly over here anyway?"

"Iron pull," Huon said in his grinding voice as he strode past. "It was damn hard keeping you all without getting flung off myself. Luckily that Darkstalker is more solid than I would have expected."

Juan made a mental note to dive into the powers and histories of all his companions as soon as they were free of this mess. He would need all the information he could get to stay alive. Luckily, that was his personal creed. The ground shook with the battle and the roar of the fighting was still well-nigh deafening.

"Over here! Through this portal now!" Bill pointed to one small arch in particular.

"Are you sure that is right," Juan panted as he ran up.

"Sure as the fact that your mother is sleeping with the FedEx man!"

Juan brushed off the jab. Aizen gave the whole situation a cool and calculating look. Ricardo has his revolvers out and was blasting Shadows left and right. Darkstalker eyed the archway doubtfully.

"Don't worry big guy, your girth will break the portal when you pass through, leaving the enemy no chance to follow us! Come second, right after me! Haha, just kidding. Don't give me that look kid!" Bill shook his head at Juan.

A bomb exploded close by and Juan's ears started ringing. He was going to have permanent hearing loss after this. He ran through the arch, and the rest of the group followed, Darkstalker bringing up the rear. Sure enough, his size broke the portal, and after he was through, it closed up. Humid air assaulted Juan and he suddenly realized that they had already taken a wrong turn.


	4. Part 1:2 - Agent of Chaos

Part 1:2 - Agent of Chaos

 _Finally! Oh finally! I am freeeeeee!_ Bill Cipher could have started tap dancing on top his newest victims and slaves. He just about did. _That Tscheapwhetzar thought he could always have his leash on me, but not this time. What an idiot! Trusting me with this quest to find a magical pen that alters any story permanently? He might as well have handed me my freedom and a one-way ticket to Gravity Falls! Well, there is one more stop along the way… Heeheehee!_

Since being recruited by the Tscheapwhetzar to help hunt down Abominations, Bill had taken every opportunity he could to learn about the space he now inhabited. He was in the Realms of Imagination, which was a place that anyone with his amazing powers could have glimpsed through the rifts and holes in their Stars. His creator, Alex Hirsch, had made a multiverse, and something like that was always risky because it allowed stories and entire worlds to have easier access to the Realms as a whole.

Knowing all of this now, and having exploited one of these holes while romping around in _Supernatural_ , Bill was much better prepared for when his second round with the Pines came. He would rain down such chaos on their heads that Weirdmageddon would look tame! Bill owed them all, Ford, Stan, Dipper, and Mable an eternity of torment for what they had done to him. He also now plotted a way to get back at Alex for allowing those accursed Pines to triumph, instead of him, the obvious and most likeable winner of them all. The Tscheapwhetzar had explored ways of merging the Realms and all their world with the Origin or, as Alex would have known it, Reality. Bill had looked into them, and with the Quill of Inspiration, he could make those theorized ways possible.

He would cross through, and it would be a party that would never end!

First, he had to deal with the matter at hand…

"Well, well, well, well! This may not be exactly the place we wanted to end up," he said cheerily to the group. "But we are on the right path. Welcome to Fern Gulley! The original blue Avatar film not worth a lick of salt!"

"Wait! You sent us to the wrong world? Through the wrong portal?" That stupid kid, Juan, from the oh-so-boring Order looked ready to faint.

"You villain, you shall pay for this," Revolver said, pulling out a gun and pointing it at Bill's borrowed head.

If he shot and killed the meat suit, it certainly wasn't going to hurt Bill. He was beyond such things. But it would have been inconvenient. After the events at _Supernatural_ , his powers had been nerfed a little by the Tscheapwhetzar, to reign him in better. Though he had made sure to get his hands on this nice accessory. Lucifer had found a really great vessel through which to operate. Bill had found he could his powers to a certain extant as well with this flesh bag. He snapped his fingers and teleported Revolver right next to Juan, with the gun now to his head.

"Hahaha! Hold your horses, pistol brains. Yes, I chose the wrong portal. We were getting surrounded back there! I wanted to make sure we'd all make it out alive, and so I saw a way to still get to the Elven Tree, and avoid getting Devoured by Shadows or an Abomination. See? Wasn't that nice of me? Thank you, Bill Cipher! You're welcome! Here, Bill, have a cookie!"

He snapped his fingers again and a cookie made of human flesh appeared in his hands and he ate it. He relished the looks he got from the others, especially the Order hacks. It was so funny to see people get unnerved. He was insane, but it was always good to play it up. It kept people on their toes, but always guessing what he would do next. Eventually, each person broke and gave into the weirdness and chaos that he brought.

What he had said was not true, except for that he knew how to still get to the Elven Tree. His own powers and having peeked at some well detailed maps really helped. The next portal was not too far off and hiding under, guess what, ferns.

"This way, follow me," Bill said happily, as he lopped forward with his arms hanging awkwardly at right angles.

"Are you sure this is the way," Aizen questioned, an amused note in his voice. "You have already misled us once. We could have fought our way out. Are you possibly trying to hide something?"

He was. He was trying to hide himself from the Tscheapwhetzar.

"If I have anything to hide, you'll be the last to know about it Aizen. I was there when we broke into your world. Oh, we have introduced some fine chaos and madness there!"

"True," Aizen held up a finger. "But your master's object is to collect my world and its people, and their powers. It is no good to him broken and destroyed."

"I have no master," Bill spat.

"We all have masters," Aizen continued in his aggravating tone of voice. "Just not all us recognize them."

"Enough of this idle chit chat," Darkstalker yawned. "Tin eyes there is getting impatient, your so-called pistol brains is getting ready to murder both of you, and I for one have plans for when all this is done. Plus, I hate how this forest feels." The dragon shuddered a little. "It's too humid."

"Good thing I didn't bring any deodorant," Bill cackled.

Suddenly Deadpool was at his side and lifted up his own pits. "You have a long way to go before you smell as fresh and divine as me, Billy Boy."

The stench was foul, and with another snap, a bar of the driest deodorant possible was chasing Deadpool around the trees.

"Oh come on now! Without me clearing a way for you, you'll get tired," Deadpool called out.

"Why would I rely on you when we have a dragon? Drakstalky, do you think you can clear us a path?"

The dragon shrugged and them blew a stream of fire into the forest, throwing up a curtain of smoke and shriveling tons of undergrowth. Most in the group started coughing violently, but Bill breathed in deeply, damaging his borrowed lungs. There was a harsh laugh behind him.

"Smells like home, for a change," Huon chuckled darkly. "Can you really handle it as well?"

"Of course I can," Bill said airily, flapping an arm about.

"Hey Billy Boy! I just realized, your deodorant will be grate for my chaffing problem!" Bill turned to see Deadpool thrust the magicked stick in his pants. "Hmm, that hit the spots. In all the right ways! Woo! I didn't expect I'd be feeling myself up on this adventure so soon."

"I thought you had read the script," Aizen said, amused.

"I did! But you know, garden writing and all that. Hey look, a petunia. Just for you Nathan! Because I know how much you loooooove petunias!" Out of the underbrush Deadpool pulled out a bouquet of petunias.

Bill changed them to strangling poison ivy and then marched along happily to the sounds of Deadpool's discomfort. Juan suddenly piped up.

"How long will it take to get to this other portal, Bill?"

"Not as long if you shut your yap, and just follow! In fact, I can make sure that it is done. Let me just SEAL THAT PIE HOLE!"

Bill was about to snap his fingers when Darkstalker cleared his throat. "The Tscheapwhetzar did make him the leader of our little group, so I think we should at least play nicely with him, for the time being."

Bill and the dragon shared a quick look. They might just get along yet!

"I got you, big boy. Alright, Hhhhhuan, the portal is about day's walk from where we are. In that direction!" Bill gestured vaguely ahead of himself. "If you will let me lead the way, we should get there quickly. We can either push on, or camp at some point. It'll be dark soon."

"The perfect time for being awake," Darkstalker interjected.

"You mean the perfect time for villainy?" Revolver twirled his gun in his hands.

 _What is up with this freak? Darkstalker knows something. I'll have to chat with him in private. I want to keep Mr. Moustache under control._

"What is up with you, Ricky," Deadpool asked, already having healed up from the poison ivy, and now changing into a new suit, taking care all the while to show his hideous naked figure. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you were written two dimensionally."

Ricardo shot the mercenary a murderous look.

"That would explain a lot," Aizen muttered. "Darkstalker is right though. It's not just him, but all of us have places we would rather be. Let's get going. I think it will be best if we camp for the night. The members of the esteemed Order will not be like the rest of us and able to go all night without some rest. Especially after the adrenaline of battle has worn off."

Some of the Order looked very thankful for the suggestion. Juan looked worry. Bill knew that this squirt was in over his head and had no real power or authority over them. But if Darkstalker saw a way of manipulating the kid, then he should keep his eye open for it as well.

"I think that sounds like a great idea! Let's get going before your eyes rot out of their sockets. Though that would be cool to see!"

Deadpool, dressed quickly and ready again for action, stayed uncomfortably close to Bill and hacked through the foliage after they cleared the area that Darkstalker had burned. As they hiked, Bill went over what he knew of this group: Juan was a Knight, someone from Reality with limited powers and specific, magically amplified skill set. The Order were a bunch of nerds of plebs with sticks up their butts about the issue of stories and worlds in the Realms interacting with one another. This particular venture must be driving the kid and his companions bonkers! Bill took great pleasure at that.

Darkstalker was a magically revived dragon from Pyrrhia, who had the ability to do just about anything with his magic, other than bringing people back from the dead, and he could read minds and see the future. Bill knew that the Tscheapwhetzar had changed these powers somewhat, but he wasn't sure exactly how. What worried him was that Aizen seemed to be working the dragon. Aizen was essentially a demi god in terms of power. He could make illusions so real that people believed whatever he made them see. He could heal super-fast, and he was master of spells. Aizen was also a genius, the kind of genius that rivaled Stanford Pines.

Then there was Huon, the High Executioner. As a Steel Inquisitor from Scadrial, he had stolen powers from people called Allomancers and Feruchemists. His abilities lay in his access to metals. There was Revolver, who used magical guns and bullets. May have sounded cool, but in this world among these kind of people, Ricky was out of his depth!

And lastly, there was Deadpool…. Bill wanted to murder him so bad, but the Merc with a Mouth regenerated too quickly for much to be useful against him. Also, his ability to reach beyond his current state of existence was a nuisance that Bill would have to handle carefully. Having similar abilities, Bill knew just how tricky that could be.

He took note of how the bad guys in his group consulted their tablets. Bill led the way, allowing them to have the time to look stuff over. Bill worried about how much they could be learning and about what. Though he tried to distract them, he knew he couldn't antagonize them too much yet. He needed some of them to get rid of Aizen, dump the Order and Crusty Ricky, and to finally lay claim to the Quill!

Night came, as predicted, and the group made an uncomfortable camp. Darkstalker lit up a fire for the group to use for light and some comfort, though he still said it was too humid. As they settled in and people enjoyed some small snacks from their packs, Bill decided to get a ball rolling.

"Alright boys, real talk for the night: What would you do if you got your hands on the Quill of Inspiration?"

Immediately, Juan looked very uncomfortable. _Oh, I will make you squirm before this is over!_

However, no one had anything to say. Deadpool took the opportunity to make cricket noises. Bill sat his aching body ( _Seriously! Why do I use these meat suits? They are so itchy, weak, and uncomfortable!_ ),and then cleared his throat dramatically.

"Sheesh! You guys are as lively as a crowd at a Bill Cosby standup. Just a little more awake than the girl backstage. Fine, if you won't begin, then I will! I want revenge on the Pines twins, both sets! They ruined my brilliant plans and caused me more aggravation than I dreamed humans were capable of! I also want revenge on my creator for allowing it to happen in my story. I am sure had he not allowed them to, I would have won! There. Simply, sweet, and straight to the point. It's not that hard!"

Surprisingly, Ricardo stepped forward. The campfire made him look even more the murderer. His moustache grew and shadowed his face in the dancing light.

He spoke slowly, saying, "I want to use the Quill to kill every single person, monster, demon, and angel, who in any way contributed to my family's murder. I want to cleanse my world of those who would hurt others. Then, I want to find _my_ creator, and make him or her suffer the same cruel fate I have, because I have lost my loved ones. Finally, I would kill myself."

Juan jerked up his head at that and asked, "Why?"

Ricardo gave the kid a somewhat sad look before covering it. "I have done so many wicked things for the sake of justice. They were all the right thing to do, but they were things that shouldn't have had to be done… They tainted my soul. So while I have done good, I have taken the filth of an entire underworld onto my own soul. I am a monster my family wouldn't recognize. My friends don't, what few I still have. No, I do not deserve them… And it is all my creator's _fault_."

Juan paled at this, and Bill felt giddy inside. He was sure now who Ricardo's creator was. He also felt Darkstalker had read that. He would only have to confirm it.

"I'm guessing Juan, that you would make sure that little adventures like these never happened, huh?" Bill mocked.

"I want these kinds of interactions to stop, yes. Though… This is fascinating. Hearing your inner thoughts and desires," Juan admitted. "However, even if I want this all to end, the Quill is not the answer! Hard work and meaningful rules keep order."

"Rules just get in the way," Bill laughed. "That is why they are meant to be broken. Your utopian idea will never work kid! Just admit defeat now!"

"It might be possible," Aizen mused. "But the Calamus of Canon would be a pointless way to get there."

"Oh. look at who has been doing a Word a Day! Do tell us more," Bill said, as he assumed a "hey look, I'm sooooo into what you're about to say" expression and posture.

Aizen again somehow had tea in his hands. Where does he get that putrid stuff? He took a sip and then explained reasonably.

"Juan is right that progress takes work. Simply writing in what you want will cheapen any victory. Evolution is bloody. It is violent. It is glorious because of the conflict. I wanted to take the position of a god, to stand where no others had ever stood. To do so, I need to break down barriers with my own hands. I worked on the Hogyoku to accomplish my goals and achieve my desired end. It gave me such knowledge and power as I have today. I gained that through work, and it has opened my eyes to where… weaknesses might be."

"How very academic of you," Bill sneered.

"That is my answer, Cipher," Aizen smiled. "Take it or not, but I am who I am. I am the master of the Hogyoku, and one day, with my own power I will take what I desire. What is rightfully mine."

Darkstalker laughed suddenly, "Tin eyes here would like the Quill to make his faith a reality. Why would you want to subject yourself to a god, when you could be one?"

"Stop fishing around in my head!" Huon snapped.

"Well excuse me if your thoughts are like thunder," Darkstalker shot back irritably. "And pushing on my metal will do you no good."

"And why is that," Aizen asked.

"Because I am a mighty dragon! RAWR!"

Bill laughed inwardly. So Darkstalker was playing somethings close to the chest. Very good. Very interesting.

"I will discover a way of getting you out of my head," Huon spat, before getting up and stalking off.

Darkstalker shook his head and then said, "Well, If I had the Quill, or Calamus, or whatever it is, I would make things perfect for my world. If I could use it without my animus magic, I could preserve my soul. And then I could have back Clearsight and Fathom, just the way that it used to be! The way things were before they were all wrong! I could fix my father! That would make mom happy!"

For the first time, the mighty dragon sounded much younger than one would have expected. He also had an edge of emotion to his voice.

The dragon continued, "Yes. I would make everything the way it should be. I would bring prosperity and peace. I would remove hate and war. Moon would like that. So would Clearsight."

"But do you deserve your family," Ricardo asked sharply.

"I do," Darkstalker snarled, putting his massive face in the gunman's. "You make think yourself lost, but I am not giving up on what is important to me!"

"Neither am I," Ricardo answered. "I am just more realistic and pragmatic than you."

Darkstalker blew a plume of smoke into Ricky's face, and then snorted.

"Well, I know you were all wondering what I would do with the Quill," Deadpool began.

"Not really," Bill cut in.

"Couldn't care less," Darkstalker blurted.

"Spare us," Aizen sighed.

"All the pineapple and olive pizza I could ever want," Deadpool shouted.

"Okay, I'm intrigued. Only because pineapple doesn't belong on pizza," Bill said.

"What is pizza?" The dragon looked confused.

"Oh, my scalely friend, is the most delicious flat pie with tomato sauce and herbs that you could ever wish to have. I'll make you some later!" Deadpool sounded delighted.

"It'll have to be a big one," Darkstalker said. "And… leave the pineapple off mine."

"You uncultured monster," Deadpool gasped.

"Pineapples, humid disgusting forest," Darkstalker said, gesturing with his claws. "I think you get where I'm coming from."

"But you haven't even tried it yet!"

"It's like I said," Bill began.

"Finish what you were going to say, and I'll blow you right out of that body! Woah, that could be taken the wrong way… And here I thought this script was written by a Mormon! I can't even say f-"

"You would allow yourself to say vulgarity wherever you wanted and have pizza, with an all-powerful quill?" Aizen raised an eyebrow and smirked. "What a waste."

"If you will only let me finish! Geez! I will cuss wherever and however I want, but really what I want along with that oh so good, salty pizza, is a better face, some hot babes, and never ending adventures!"

"How very tame," Aizen deadpanned.

"I can also blow you away, you know," Deadpool countered with a soft voice. "Are you guys seriously taking notes on all of this?"

Bill and the others turned to the Order, who were indeed writing things down frantically. They looked very abashed at getting caught. Ricardo chuckled a little. Before anything else could be said, the group found themselves surrounded by tiny, flying lights.

"Pips! These are the guys! These are the ones who burned part of the forest!"

"Is that so? We'll just have to fix them up then."

"Looks like we are now on a CNN special of saving the rainforest," Deadpool muttered.

"There's no such thing as fairies," Bill said offhandedly.

One light winked out and a tiny fairy plummeted to the ground dead. As the other fairies cried out in horror and began fleeing, Bill snapped his fingers. The fairies were trapped in lights that draped the trees and gave a cheery glow to the campsite. The Order look terrified and Juan struggled to say something.

"Don't worry, I'll turn them off when we all want some shuteye," Bill cackled.

"You won't get away with this," Pips called from his bulb.

"There's no such thing as fairies," Bill said again, gleefully. Another light went dead. "I already have! Hahahahaha!"

Bill knew he had overstepped his bounds then. The conversation died, and soon Juan begged to have the fairies freed. Bill then flipped a switch on a tree, and they all fell asleep. Yes, it might not have been as productive as he had hoped, but now he knew some very useful information. He was sure he could eventually win the dragon to his side. Also, the High Executioner had some weak points that could be exploited. He just needed to be freed from his shackles and then he could become useful. Aizen was dangerous and needed to be gotten rid of. Deadpool…. He would be dealt with, eventually.

The next day, as they continued to the portal sight, Bill saw a familiar tree, with bits of machinery poking out of it. He had gotten rid of the light strings of fairies, but what Juan didn't know is that he had sent them to a nightmare realm. Bill giggled a little.

Sure enough, a tunnel under a bunch of ferns was found nearby. The tunnel had some strange markings on it, indicating their next destination. Again, a place that Bill wanted to get to get away from the Tscheapwhetzar. Sure, the orbs they had might allow him to track them, but what he needed was more solid intel on the Accursed. Darkstalker was at first worried about his size, when the tunnel magically expanded to easily fit him inside.

Bill, happily and eagerly waved the entire group through the portal. Once everyone was through, he snapped his fingers one last time. The tree exploded and a monstrous being of fire, oil, and muck burst from the tree.

"Have Hexxus, old buddy! Tear this place apart, just for me! Avatar sequels suuuuuck! That includes you, Legend of Korra!"

And with that, Bill jumped into the tunnel, after his compatriots.


	5. Part 1:3 - All Seeing Eyes

Part 1:3 – All Seeing Eyes

Once again, everything was way too bright. The mix of metal and souls all around him was blinding. Huon's tin stakes pulled at his face. He resisted the urge to scratch at them. In fact, his whole body felt weighed down. No Steel Inquisitor had so many stakes, so much metal, running through his body. Huon was a High Executioner, a special kind of inquisitor made to specifically hunt down Twinborn, the abominable product of a Feruchemist and Allomancer having a child together.

The dual powers of the Twinborn made them more dangerous than any Allomancer or Feruchemist alone, because they could draw on both sets of power. Because of the Lord Ruler's breeding program, the chances for a Twinborn to arise was exceptionally slim. However, no program was entirely infallible. The Steel Inquisition existed to clean up any of these accidents and set things aright, as well as control the church of the Lord Ruler. Huon existed to make sure that all these things ran smoothly.

The extra spikes he carried gave him access to nearly each of the sixteen Allomantic and Feruchemical powers. Almost all of them, the Lord Ruler kept some powers just to himself. Some secrets were too dangerous. Huon had still been chosen to become a High Executioner because of his unwavering, unyielding devotion to the Sliver of Eternity, the Lord Ruler. Once his job was done, he would be killed by having the linchpin spike at the base of his neck removed. It would be taken from the Lord Ruler himself, as he thanked Huon for his dedication and work at eliminating such a dangerous threat to the Final Empire.

That was what was supposed to have happened.

Instead, Huon had been kidnapped by the Tscheapwhetzar. He had been laughably unable to deal with the strange being. He had appeared as a large monster with wings that stretched out to the eternities. It was blinding! But it was really a short, cloaked man who had easily overpowered him and thrown him through a portal ripped in the sky.

Huon's enhanced tin eyes could not lie to him. He had seen the monster inside the man. He had seen a palace that dwarfed Kredik Shaw, and he had seen a world full of monsters and humans of a variety and full of powers that shook his faith to its very core. What broke it was when he learned what the future held in store for the Final Empire. How could thieves and skaa rebels take down the Lord Ruler and change the entire world? He had read their actions, and he as shown the results.

Now, with shattered faith and a broken identity, he was romping around with a pack of ill-begotten and impossible buffoons who made Kelsier's crew look even more competent. He even found himself wishing he work with them, instead of these bunglers and monsters! He tore his gaze from the blinding surroundings to his companions. He saw the monster called Darkstalker, who reminded him so much of what he had seen in the Tscheapwhetzar. They called it a dragon. He saw the one called Bill Cipher, a triangle with a tall hat puppetting a dead body on many strings. Aizen glowed just as brightly as the metal city. He scared Huon a little. Deadpool and the others were recognizable, but not as bright or strange as those three. Nevertheless, being here, living everything that he had gone through, it was overwhelming.

Huon would have loved to have slunk away, be alone with his thoughts. Maybe kill those around him, so that he could at least feel the tug of the Lord Ruler or of Ruin once more, before ripping his linchpin spike out and dying. He was certain that that was how this adventure was going to end for him. What was there for a man who had no faith? For without faith, there could be no future.

The argument between the members in the group assaulted his ear, and he used his trick with tin to catch what was important. The key to tin was not to see, hear, feel, and smell everything, but rather to only detect that which was important. Otherwise, he would have gone insane from the flood on sensations and information.

"You brought us again to the wrong place," the gruff voice of Ricardo revolver snarled. A shot rang out, deafening Huon momentarily. He compounded gold to quickly heal himself. "Damn. Why didn't that kill you?"

"Because this body is already dead, you idiot!" Bill Cipher laughed. "And if I could have been killed with a gun, wouldn't the Pines have done me in a long time ago? Sheesh! Do your research pistol brains!"

Bill snapped his fingers and Ricardo went flying backwards.

"Didn't they though beat you with a gun," Aizen said. Huon could hear that terrible mocking condescension in his voice. "A very specific gun. Quite easy really to remake it, I think."

"You keep your trap shut if you don't want the same treatment," Bill threatened. "Besides, I got us right where we needed to be. Don't you understand? Getting to the tree is all fine and dandelions, but when we get there, how are we supposed to leave after a _hidden_ Quill? We need a ride, and we some knowledge of how the war with the Abominations is affecting the Tumblrverse here and now!"

"That is unexpectedly forward in thinking, for someone like you," Aizen commented.

"Where are we," Darkstalker asked.

"In a town run by nut jobs who get one thing right: information is power!" Bill rubbed his hands together. "There should be a small shindig at the center of town where we can find ourselves not only some good intel, but a ship!"

Juan now stepped in and said, "You forget yourself, Bill! I'm in charge here!"

"Well look who is trying on his mother's big boy pants," Bill taunted. "And do you really have any brighter ideas?"

"We can use our tablets to get the information we want," Juan insisted. "We can find the portals to use, and we don't need to get involved in anything shady. You've already killed some fairies, and I don't want to think of where following you could lead us."

Huon privately agreed with that statement.

"Hey there Juan-bon," Deadpool said smoothly. "There's no need to get all upset. The snazzily dressed triangle has a good point. We need transportation and the recent information. The Cheeper Kreeper can't know everything. This is a good idea."

Juan gave Deadpool an exasperated look and stalked over to the rest of the Order. Huon still had a hard time figuring out why they were even along. They were needless baggage and indecisive. Bill was already sauntering off.

"You guys may want to watch your step where we are going. It can get a little rough."

"I'm was certain you were just quoting Obi-Wan Kenobi, but now that I get a look at this place, you were totally right! Look there's even a Hutt there in the corner! I wonder if he has any pizza?" Deadpool looked about wildly.

 _Again, with this pizza… It must be a fantastic thing if it dominates someone's entire mind. Though Deadpool might just be a real simpleton._

Huon had no idea what the strange man was getting at with huts and pizza, but the den was crowded. It was such a bright place. Too much metal and too many humans. Bill was talking about a bar where people could grab drinks while he asked some questions.

"Don't forget who is in charge here," Juan growled at the triangle wearing a corpse. "You can't just keep running off."

"And what naïve dragon is going to back you up," Bill mocked back.

They had left a grumbling Darkstalker up front with some of the Order posted as guards. He had not been happy to be left behind. There was also something by the way he slunk that told Huon that something was up. He had done his research on the dragon through the tablet's audio files. Darkstalker could have visions of the future as well as read people's minds. Huon has a nasty suspicion that the great lizard was up to something, or knew that something was coming.

He was happy to be out of Darkstalker's presence all the same. He didn't want that creature poking around in his brain, where he warred his own personal battles at the moment. He also couldn't stand the Hemalurgic spike that glowed so brightly in the dragon's ear. That spike… It was all wrong somehow. It put him on edge. The Tscheapwhetzar put him on edge.

 _Maybe I should get a drink_ , he sighed to himself.

"Our first priority is the Quill! The war is something that we can catch up on afterwards," Juan said hotly.

Aizen stepped in and said diplomatically, "Then you should both ask questions. Let Bill find out what he wants to and can about the situation here in the Tumblrverse. It isn't wrong to have as much information as possible. But you are right, we must locate the Quill quickly."

Aizen… He was another person who made Huon uneasy. He could see Juan relent to Aizen's sound wisdom and followed Bill. The Soul Reaper stood out brightly to Huon, like the soul of a god, and his sword blazed with white fire. It was difficult to look at him for too long. From everything Huon had heard about this man, he was too powerful and intelligent to be let on the loose.

 _What was the Tscheapwhetzar thinking, allying himself with this monster?_

Aizen sauntered off in another direction, and Huon made his way to the bar, intent on keeping an eye on the powerful man.

"How is a guy with spikes in his head going to order a drink," Deadpool called out. "Do you need a wingman?"

Huon decidedly ignored the mercenary and made his way to a high stool. He sat himself down hard on the seat, causing it to wobble. He sighed and bowed his head a little. The spikes were growing heavy. He was also very tired. Like clockwork, he poured a portion of his vitality and physical attributes into the spikes. It was these Feruchemical powers that made the Inquisitors superior to the Mistborn.

"Buddy, if you've come to pray, I fear you are in the wrong place."

Something about that young, forlorn voice caused Huon to sit up straight and look around. Two seats over was a young man, perfectly outlines in blue and glowing. He wore a rumbled jacket over a half buttoned up shirt, and a cravat hung around his neck. The young man shot back a cup of liquor and motioned for more.

"I am not here to pray," Huon found himself saying. "There's no one to pray to. I found that everything I believed in was fabricated and false."

The young man hiccupped and then replied, "There are many who believe the same as you, friend, but they delude themselves. They trick themselves."

This drunk was only going to be annoying. Huon motioned for a drink as well and kept his gaze on Aizen. The Soul Reaper was lounging in a chair and speaking with some people. Huon tapped his Tin, and tried to listen in on the conversation. He blocked out the din of the den and caught a few snippets.

"Positive. This is a place of infinite role-playing stories?" Aizen was asking.

Huon missed part of the answer, but heard, "after that, there's an inner world that is meant to make the petitioner bleed before you access the crown."

Lord Ruler, this place was loud! It was hard to glean anything useful.

"-can be reached within a day. This place is truly fascinating," Aizen said off handedly. "That is very informative. Are you sure-"

Again, the crowd blocked the rest of Aizen's words.

A sharp voice in his ears brought Huon back to the bar.

"What will you be having sir," the man asked warirly.

"Wine," Huon answered in a grinding voice.

"We have many different varieties and vintages. What will it be? I could, um, give you a menu," the bartender said, obviously trying to be polite.

 _Strange behavior, for such a place. Am I really that terrifying?_ Huon suddenly had a sneaky suspicion that Darkstalker was snickering outside. _That monster probably_ is _listening on me._

"Does it look like I give a damn," Huon snapped. "Just get me some wine. I'm thirsty."

As the man quickly retreated, the young piped up again, "You should be kinder to him. You never know if he'll slip something in your drink if you're being rude. No one here would really care."

"Then why do you care to point that out to me," Huon inquired warily.

"Like me, you are searching for god."

"All my gods are dead. Fabrications made to blind and guide me until they were killed. I wouldn't even recognize the world I come from anymore," Huon lamented.

"Shame to hear that," the man shrugged. "What world are you from?"

"Scadrial," Huon said. Why am I even speaking with this kid, let alone answering his questions?

The High Executioner then realized that there was a part of him that wanted to talk about his revelations. The things he had learned about being a fictional character. Of finding out that his religion was false, made up by some writer. What was he to believe? Who was he?

"I'm from Earth."

Huon then asked, "A variation of Earth here, in the Realms of Imagination?"

The guy hiccupped again and shook his head. "Nah, the real Earth. The Origin some call it. Your drink is here."

The bar tender brought Huon a tall wine glass, half full, and brought another small glass for the man in the suit. Huon took his glass and sipped. If there was something wrong with it, he would just tap Gold. He then took out a vial of metal flakes and tipped it into his drink. It would be good to have metals on hand. Just in case Darkstalker's actions did indicate that something bad was about to happen.

"So you are from the same place as the man who wrote my world," Huon concluded.

"Really? Huh," the guy said before taking another shot.

"His name is Brandon Sanderson," Huon prompted, feeling hopeful to learn more about his creator. Maybe he could glean some kind of meaning, no matter how faint the possibility, about what purpose he served in the grand universe.

"Yeah, I know of him," the man smiled.

"And?"

"And I think your world is in good hands." The young man then sighed and said, "Look, you shouldn't be worrying about who created you or where that person came from. The real question is what you supposed to be doing here? What is the purpose. Answering that question makes the past understandable, and it lights the way to your future."

"A young drunk doesn't sound like the kind of person whose word I should take seriously. Especially on such important matters," Huon answered.

"I get that a lot," the guy laughed. "But it is my job. Has been my job for over a miserable year now. I wonder at times why I took this path, but I know too much Truth. Especially after coming here. I can't turn my back on it, though I would love to at times. This is why I come here when I sleep," he then gestured with his drink to the room. "I try to forget and get away."

"But why," Huon then asked. "For a moment, you sounded like you indeed have the truth that others might seek, but you shy away from it. Why?"

"Because it is everything, friend. The Truth I know is about eternity. I wasn't ready for it."

"But you just said that if you know why you are here, it illuminates everything else. That is a gift I would murder everyone in this room to have. I would do it anyway if I knew I could at least feel even a small portion of my old life and purpose once again," Huon ranted. "It is not fair that I should not have these answers! It is not fair that I should be ripped away from everything I know and thrown into… Into this!"

The drunk looked down for a moment into his glass before speaking again. "The answer you are searching for is that we all play a part in grand plan. God's plan. Not some made up being, not some creation from another world. No, the God of all things. Even beings here in the Realms of Imagination have a role to play somewhere, somehow."

"Then what is mine," Huon breathed.

"I can't answer that," the man said.

There was a sudden scuffle across the room and Deadpool popped out of thin air and slid in next to Huon.

"Juan made a stupid move and insulted some salty, mechanical mercenary. A total embarrassment to the profession that guy, but then again, Juan is no people person. Are you going to finish that? Are you done with your deep conversation about the universe and your insignificance within it?"

"Shut your filthy, skaa mouth," Huon rasped. He then downed his wine and got up.

"Woah, woah, woah there!" Bill called out. "There's no need yet for violence."

"So you admit there is a need," a digital voice shouted.

"You know, I just realized that your name and Juan's is very similar. Why is that?" Deadpool asked.

"Consult the script," Huon spat and moved forward.

He noticed that Aizen had also gotten up. Revolver Ricardo popped up near the mounting argument. The patrons in the den were pulling out weapons of all kinds. There would be a fight very soon.

Should I even get involved? Huon thought.

At the very least, he tried Soothing the crowd, he could see some people reacting immediately, and they look docile and confused. The robot hounding Bill and Juan was not deterred.

 _That's right, these machines do not act the same way as humans do. It might just as well come to a fight._ As Huon thought about that, an idea came to his mind.

Soothing and Rioting were powerful abilities granted to certain Allomancers. Copper could protect others from these abilities. It might even reach into other areas. Huon switched on his Copper. It burned nicely in his stomach. They called this ability Smoking back on Scadrial. A very useful power. He didn't know if it would block out Darkstalker, but it might impede him a little. He figured he would know soon enough.

"You don't just come into the Hive and demand answers and treatment," a towering, skinny robot with blades for hands ranted. It jabbed its sharp hands under Juan's nose. "Your disrespect will cost you dearly!"

Revolver Ricardo pulled out his guns and put a bullet into the robot's head. It detonated and blew shining shards all over. Juan ducked just in time, but Bill took the shrapnel and laughed.

"It makes you know you're alive," the demon laughed. "Alright, if the party has started, then let's get going!"

Bill snapped his fingers and a man approaching him jerked as his necked was snapped. Revolver shot another bullet in the direction of a large slug smoking something. The slug exploded and guts sprayed all over the place. Even with Huon Soothing the den, the place ruptured with activity and violence.

Aizen drew his blade and in the same motion struck down two men. Huon thought one of them was the one he had been speaking to earlier. Huon tapped Steel and Pewter. Steel to let him push on the metal of others, and Pewter to enhance his body for the fight and to weather the massive Steelpush. He sent more than a score of patrons flying in all directions. Deadpool danced among the speeding bodies and hacked into those who resisted, wielding his double sword expertly.

Huon ducked a bullet from Revolver. It took the bartender in the face and dropped him. The drunk man got up and tried to run for the door. Another bullet exploded as it hit another patron and consumed the young man and few others. Expiring bodies were all over the place now. Huon could see the divine light seeping from them, going to the Beyond.

"Come on guys, there is a ship that we can take," Bill cackled. He had gotten his hands on a gun and a large knife, cutting and blasting his way through people as he said, "Quick, follow me outside! I took the keys from Mr. Tin Can back there!"

"Watch where you are aiming that gun," Huon roared.

"What, I'm not using it on you," Bill protested. "Would it do much good on your powers anyway. Oh! That sounds like a fun thing to try out!"

"Well, now I mean you, too! No, I was directing that at our vigilante over there! Ricardo, stop firing all over the place!"

"I don't take orders from people who are supposed to be dead, like you," the mustached man yelled back.

"Then how about from a fellow vigilante," Deadpool asked. Ricardo shot at him and Deadpool deflected it with a katana. "I'll take that as a maybe, but not on a Thursday."

"Let's just get out of here," Juan shouted.

They all followed Bill out of the den, which was now covered with gore and corpses. They met Darkstalker and the rest of the order outside. Bill laughed and pointed at the dragon.

"Roast them all in there, bug guy!"

The dragon obliged and breath a torrent of flames into the den. People still inside screamed in agony. Huon turned off his Tin so he wouldn't have to smell the bodies. Bill led them all to a very large, metal ship. Huon rightly guessed it was another flying vessel like what they had come to this "nebula" on. Bill unlocked it with a beep and a whoop. It was still too small for Darkstalker, so he clung to the top after Bill assured him that he could fly.

Huon wasn't sure if the distressed look on the dragon boded well for his Copper idea, or if it was the sudden escape. He would have to investigate later. He would also have to try Soothing the dragon. Darkstalker could be a powerful asset in dealing with rest of the group if brought under his control. They just needed to get away first. Already, the group could hear the sounds of law enforcement and the likes coming for them.

Huon was unsure of how profitable the visit to the Hive had been to the overall mission, but he had gained something from the experience. He didn't mourn the death of the young man. He would probably come back again, somewhere else. He had learned that was the nature of people from the Origin, the true Earth; they were very, very hard to kill permanently here in the Realms. No, Huon didn't feel concerned about that, but the young man had gotten him thinking.

Earlier, he couldn't have answered Bill's question, even if he had wanted to, about he would do with the Quill of Inspiration. But now, he had an answer. Before this mission was through, before he came to the Quill, Huon would discover his grand purpose. He would know where he fit. If he didn't have an answer, or if it was an unsatisfactory answer, he would use the Quill to give himself the place he deserved.


	6. Part 1:4 - Dark Thoughts

Darkstalker was a perfectly good flier, thank you very much! Though, he hated to admit it, he wasn't as fast as this metal, flying box they called a ship. He could have easily used his animus magic to make a ring or something that could make him fly just as fast if not faster. He should do that; show them all up with amazing, awesome powers! Instead, he clung to the tops of the ship as it flew through the city.

 _But no, I am supposed to work with all of these beings that I am likely to squish under claw because of how small they are! These scavengers really are nuisance! Leaving me outside like that!_

He was also angry with himself that he had done what Bill had told him to do, burning up the other little scavengers (could he even call them human, as the Tscheapwhetzar had told him to? Some of them didn't look it!). At the very least it had given him something to do! He was getting bore just reading through the tablet's documents in his chest pouch. This was not shaping up to be the adventure that he needed. He found himself missing Clearsight and Moonwatcher even more.

 _Funny that is the case, considering how everyone has betrayed me. Even my own mother, returned from the dead, stabbed me in the back and took my powers!_

For that alone he was indebted to the Tscheapwhetzar. He would see this mission through to the end and make sure that he secured the Quill of Inspiration. But, he was also going to pull at least one fast one on everyone here before he was through. The Tscheapwhetzar had promised Darkstalker that if he went through with this mission and helped him with this inconceivable war, he would be granted one chance to fix things with Clearisght and restart in a new timeline.

Since that conversation between them, Darkstalker had mulled things over and thought about the possibilities of that second chance. It would be wonderful to see Clearsight again, and start over. But what would that do to him? What about all of his plans? What about the connections he had made. Could he not have Clearsight, along with Moonwatcher, bring Qibli to like him, and everything else? Could he not be the king with the happy ending he had deserved for thousands of years?

 _I can be. I can all of that. I just need the Quill! I will make sure that I have the Quill's powers. It will be given to the Tscheapwhetzar, but I will have its powers through my own animus magic! I'll put it into the earing he gave me. Ha! How ironic and fitting would that be?_

A bolt of energy whizzing past his snout brought him out of his thoughts.

Darkstalker whirled around and saw four other, sleeker flying ships coming for them. He blew some fire at them, but they flew through his barrage without any problem.

"I appreciate the effort there, Scales, but you are going to need something a lot more powerful to break through their armor."

Darkstalker quickly looked about and saw a golden triangle with a top hat and one big eye. It was straightening a little butterfly thing at its base. He had looked this guy up, and he knew who it was. The real form of Bill Cipher.

"Finally out of that other body, huh?"

"I gave the wheel to Deadpool. It helped shut him up. He can be a real backseat driver, and zipping his mouth shut, or sticking it somewhere else doesn't help! He just regrows it, or undoes what I just did!"

"Frustrating," Darkstalker agreed.

Just then a blot of energy hit his rear. He registered the hit, but there was no visible mark of the score. He smiled, happy to see that his invincibility spell was still operating. The Tscheapwhetzar had done a thorough job of restoring him.

"So you are invulnerable," Bill observed. "This is going to be so much fun!"

As they zoomed by a water tower, Bill pointed at the structure and said, "Take off the top!"

"Why?"

"For ammunition!"

Darkstalker managed to reach out in time and tore the water tower's head off, sending water spraying everywhere. The ship rocked from the sudden movement and extra weight. Bill rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"Let's just see what your powers can do! I understand you need things to enchant. So now you have something. Impress me with your abilities Scales. Get rid of these guys!"

Another bolt tore a hole into the ship. Darkstalker needed only a second to think of the spell. Heaving the broken water tower head, he spoke to it.

"Fly around us and knock all pursuers out of the air."

His light glowed and the air around him shimmered with bending light as he spoke the spell. That was a new feature of his using spells. It was what happened ever since the Tscheapwhetzar used foreign magic to reunite his soul with a body and give him a buffer to the effects of his animus magic.

The newly made weapon did as was instructed. It zoomed out of his talons and towards the pursing ships. They shot at it, punching holes through the thin metal, but it crashed into the cockpit of one ship and it dropped like a stone. It then tore itself away and slammed into the engines of the second ship. There was a small explosion, followed by a larger one. The water tower head was not done yet, however, and it zipped for the third ship, now a molten ball of flames and shrapnel. A rocket from the fourth ship destroyed it.

"The pinball from hell," Bill cackled appreciatively. "It was good while it lasted, but now they seem to have escalated things. Your response Scales?"

Darkstalker got an idea from the weapons the ships were using.

"Give this ship weapons that fire shots of energy like my pursuers', and shoot them down."

The air warped again with color and he glowed more brightly. Thus time, the ship glowed as well. Darkstalker laughed at the thoughts he could hear inside.

"What are those two thinking," Juan thought frantically.

"I wish we had a better cab ride," Deadpool thought.

"I'm going to kill them," Revolver thought.

Others of the order simply panicked. Darkstalker could now understand a little of what made Bill Cipher so giddy about the action and the destruction. People reacted in funny ways to chaos. He could never fully read the triangle demon's mind, but he now better understood the addictive attitude towards destruction that Bill harbored.

The ship's new gun roared into life, firing a barrage of energy bolts at the oncoming ships and two more rockets. The rockets exploded, rooftops were torn apart, and the remaining ships were forced to land after receiving too much damage.

"Too bad they didn't die," Bill lamented. "If there's one thing funnier than pain, it is death. Though, I think I should amend that statement somewhat, Scales. A death that the one dying does not see coming, is the best kind. And as always, the weirder the better! After drawn out periods of torture and suffering!"

 _And here I thought I might understand you_ , Darkstalker shook his head.

"Alright, I'm going back to let those meat sacks down there know how to get to Juanny-boy's tree," Bill said as he passed through the hull. "We make a great team, Scales!"

"It's Darkstalker, Bill, and how did you help out?"

"I told you to use that water tower back there, didn't I?"

Before Darkstalker could say another word, Bill was gone. Again, Darkstalker was alone. He looked at what he had done to the ship. He could never have done something like that before. Granted, that was in large part due to him not knowing about these kinds of things. Animus magic was really only restricted by one's ingenuity and knowledge. That was what made him the most powerful dragon back on Pyrrhia.

But when he was on his own world, the items he had enchanted had never glowed before, nor had the air warped around him with a blend of colors. No, that was new thanks to what the Tscheapwhetzar had done. He had taken Darkstalker's soul from his new, infant body created by Moonwatcher's friends and taken the memory of the real Darkstalker, which would always be attached to his soul, From there he used a Hemalurgic spike to tether the real Darkstalker to the body of another dragon. He had then shaped the body to become Darkstalker entirely. The Hemalurgic spike in question was an earring fashioned from magical metals called Atium and Hadium. The Atium would enhance Darkstalker's foresight, while the Hadium strengthened his animus powers through the extra magics of Biochroma and Stormlight, powers stolen from other worlds.

Darkstalker believed the Tscheapwhetzar when he said that it had been a pain to make. He did not believe that the Tscheapwhetzar went by Karl. He had glimpsed part of the human's mind. It was a labyrinth of thought and traps. His thought process was exactly like Qibli's, but it was more brutal, and even faster. Darkstalker was sure the Tscheapwhetzar was insane. When he had probed at the Tscheapwhetzar's name, he had only seen a majestic crown made of leaves like blades, dripping with blood. That was the embodiment of his name, but what was it?

That was a mystery for another time. It was time for him to explore the extent of his newly enhance powers. He was supposed to be capable of even more if he put his mind to it, but there was a catch. He had been given Stormlight and Breath to fuel his magic. These new "fuels" created a buffer to his soul, but if he used them up, he would revert to the way he had been before. Having seen his ow soul reading device used on him, and showing him how evil he had become had shaken him to his core. If he was ever going to be with Clearsight again, whether through the Tscheapwhetzar or through the Quill, he needed to be a dragon worthy of Clearsight's love. That was one bit of his destiny he was going to make sure happened!

 _This probably then means I can't experiment too much_ , he thought miserably.

He had to preserve his Stormlight and Breath. The Tscheapwhetzar had given him prism cut gems, infused with Stormlight to last even longer than usual gems, but they could still run out eventually. And his Breath was limited, as well. Fifty thousand might sound like a lot, but those breaths could be used up fast to enchant objects. He had paid careful attention to _Warbreaker_.

 _I wish I had Clearsight here. She always helped me out with the best spells_ , the thought came unbidden to his mind. He groaned, because it was true. _What did I do to lose you?_

He had the answer there, too. He had read his own story. He was furious that it had been written the way it had been. Wasn't he the hero? Couldn't he have done so much!? But no! His author had to take away his mother, give him a selfish disposition, and then spin him into tragedy of self-destruction. She would pay for that! Another good reason to have the Quill, he could change all of that. Aizen had referred to it Calamus of Canon after all.

Not only could he then fix his problems with Clearsight, his author, and his family, he could also have all of his friends! He could even have Fathom back. For the first time, in a very long time, the thought of Fathom wasn't even painful. Snakes, he could even give fathom the perfect ending with the Quill! See? He wasn't so bad after all!

 _It's settled then, I have no doubt in my mind now. I will have the Quill's power, and fulfill my promise to the Tscheapwhetzar. If he can actually follow through with his promise, I will be with Clearsight again, and this time, I will make everything work out just fine. But in order to do that, I need to work with the humans here. They are key to helping me achieve my goal._

A portal opened up in the sky and they flew through it. The tunnel they passed through a whirlwind of blues, black, white colors. Everything went silent around Darkstalker. Only the thoughts of the people down below gave any kind of sound. That was an extra advantage given to him the Tscheapwhetzar, the earring allowed him to now hear and read all intelligent thoughts, at least ones from being of flesh and blood. He had quickly gotten used to it.

Darkstalker was therefore unhappy that Huon had somehow managed to make his thoughts fuzzy. The religiously defeated and identity confused Steel Inquisitor known as a High Executioner had been fun to listen to, even if he was a downer. His thoughts had led Darkstalker to search out his own author, Tui Sutherland. The last thing Darkstalker had heard from him was something about copper. He would have to look deeper into _Mistborn_ 's powers. That Sanderson fellow was incredible.

 _Maybe I should pick his brain, sometime_ , Darkstalker mused.

Huon was going to be difficult to befriend, let alone use. Darkstalker should stop making fun of him and work to help him out with his problems. Such charity would bind the man to him in some way. Then there was Bill. He knew Bill was interested in him, using him as a weapon. If he could Bill interested in him and close by, he could benefit from the chaos lord's power and knowledge. He could also get better at reading his mind eventually. It was so…. Crazy in there.

Revolver Ricardo was a lost cause. He was bent on revenge and death. He was so simple he was of no consequence to Darkstalker at all. Juan was little better. The little guy was so focused on his mission and appeasing this female human called Madame that he only came across as pathetic. Then there was Deadpool. He was so annoying, and his mind was a bubbling cauldron of what he called pop culture references, and strange things that made no sense. These three could all be discarded in Darkstalker's future plans.

Then there was Aizen. Darkstalker had also researched the Soul reaper when he had had the chance. This man was conniving, brilliant, and brutal. He was supposed to be on the level of a god, though he had yet to show that. He could also induce perfect hypnosis. Darkstalker had taken care to enchant a small item in his pouch to protect him from that power. He liked the things Aizen said and did, but he understandably didn't trust him too much.

There was also his vision to consider. It was full of fire and blinding light. It was hard to really understand. Lots of scavengers he didn't know were running about in terror, and he face an overwhelming power. He felt Aizen was central to it somehow, but when, where, and how it would happen, he couldn't tell.

 _Useless visions! Clearsight was always the better one at this than me! And I thought Atium was supposed to make me better at seeing the future in the end._

The tunnel opened to a new world, suddenly. There, before Darkstalker was an awe-inspiring sight. An impossibly large tree, sitting in the clouds, with a city in its branches was before him. Waterfalls cascaded from the branches and into the clouds. He could make out houses of glass and crystal, buildings of magically bent wood, people milling about, and graceful eagles flying people around. It was marvelous. Without any heralding, they had reached their destination, the elven tree with the location to the Quill of Inspiration.

If we are so close now, maybe I won't have to worry about working with those morsels below me.

At the docks attached to one of the island sized branches, Juan met with an elven ambassador to discuss their need. Darkstalker was surprised to see these new kinds of scavengers. Why did they have such high and pointy ears? The small rounds others had seem to be enough.

 _Maybe these heighten some kind of ability? Breeding?_

He also quickly noticed that these pointy eared scavengers came in a wide variety. Some of these so-called elves were tall, others were short. Some looked utterly ridiculous in their costumes, while others had a refined and royal air about them and their garb. Some were fuzzy with claws, while some had hair with too many vibrant colors. Guards carried slender weapons, miniature swords and spear compared to Darkstalker.

He could feel Juan's nervousness and saw that the young human was going to make a fool of himself. While Darkstalker was intrigued with this place, he wanted to get moving. His vision was beginning to itch at him a little. He hated that feeling.

"Look, we are here to inquire as to the whereabouts of the Quill of Inspiration," he rumbled, overruling Juan's stammering. "We have been through a couple of battles and close calls to make it here. War is spreading throughout the Tumblrverse, so we need to find it before this area becomes too dangerous for anyone to be here."

Why was he now seeing in the back of his mind a gigantic black monster? He felt it coming soon. Was it headed here? They had to get moving quickly. His vision was confirmation of a sort to what Bill had told them. The war with Abominations was spreading throughout the Tumblrverse. The nebula was infected left and right with monsters like shadows and they were Devouring entire worlds.

The elf ambassador, a tall scavenger with tan skin, silver hair and especially pointy ears spoke up, "We know that the war is ravaging the nebula we call home. All threads are susceptible to attack. No planet is entirely safe. But we are ready to meet the monsters when they come. As for the Quill of Inspiration, we know of rumors as to its whereabout, and who might have placed the item in those supposed spaces. However, it is to dangerous a tool to let anyone handle."

Darkstalker gave the elf a flat look. He was about to say more when Juan finally found his voice again.

"Dammandru," He said. What an odd name, Darkstalker chuckled. "I am from the Order. I was sent personally to retrieve the Quill and make sure the Order has it. Our history speaks for itself that we want to see this war resolved and things restores to their proper frame."

"A frame that has no place for the Tumblrverse," Dammandru said sharply. "Yes, we know about the Order and their goals. They would strip us of our homes and destroy what we have. No, I cannot allow you have what you seek."

"We could always take it from you," Bill laughed, blue flames shooting from his hand.

"And this is why you aren't the leader," Aizen said quietly. The Soul Reaper strode forward and said, "Perhaps we can come to an understanding if we talk things out. In any case, we have had a rough journey getting here. It would do us a great honor if you housed us until we are ready to depart. Also, I feel as though we haven't argued our case sufficiently. Please, give us a day."

Can even you work that kind of miracle? Darkstalker thought. He could tell the others thought the same.

"We will provide you with shelter for one rotation of the sun," Dammandru said, gesturing to the sky. "You and I may speak, sir?"

"Aizen. Sosuke Aizen," The Soul Reaper said with a slight bow.

Juan looked upset and said, "I must also be allowed to take part in this discussion."

"Same here," Bill butted in.

"Not me! Got any grub joints around here?" Deadpool asked.

"The young man may accompany you, but the man with the fiery hand may not," the elf answered.

Bill shook his hand and the flames went over to Juan who cried out in surprise.

"Look, he's the one with fire!"

Dammandru gave Bill a very angry glare and Bill finally threw up his hands and stalked off.

"Bill, can you put these out," Juan called. In response, Bill snapped his fingers and they became stronger.

Darkstalker chuckled as the elves used a spell to put out the flames, even though they weren't hurting Juan. The vision still nagged at him, but Darkstalker could tell from what the elves thought they weren't going to trust him. Many were scared of him. At least he could kil some time by exploring, and possibly talking things over with Huon.

"Well, if they are going to talk, I'm going to stretch my wings! Huon, care to see this tree city with me?"

He didn't give the Executioner a chance to respond, but scooped Huon up in his claws. Deadpool ran up his tail settled himself on Dearkstalker's neck.

"Hey, get off!"

"Nah, I wanna come along. I have to be the adult chaperone for your first date," Deadpool said simply. "Plus, you might be the fastest way to find some good food."

"You have those chimichanga things in your infinite pocket," Darkstalker snarled.

"Let go of me," Huon said angrily.

Darkstalker could feel the man using his Allomantic powers to try and break free. He was pushing on Darkstalker's earring.

 _This is not going according to plan at all!_

"Fine, then you can ride too, Deadpool, keep him put!"

He threw Huon onto his back and then launched himself into the air. Huon cried out in dismay and Deadpool whooped with glee. The Steel Inquisitor clamed himself down fast enough. As they flew away, Darkstalker noticed Ricardo following Dammandru and the others at a safe distance. The quiet man was up to something. He was thinking of a way to sneak in.

What is that simpleton planning?

"Huon, you have found a way to stop me from perfectly reading your mind. Congratulations," Darkstalker said over the wind. Huon gave a grinding grunt in reply. "Is it copper by chance? That Smoking ability you stole from some dead Allomancer?"

He took the proceeding silence as a yes.

"Come on guys, let's not be Debbie Downers here. Let's enjoy this flight," Deadpool said cheerily. "Blah, I hate my dialogue here. Way to fudging tame."

Darkstalker just shook his head.

The tree city was magnificent. He was certain that at some future point he would have to bring Clearsight to see this place. Moonwatcher would love it! True, he would have to get the elves to let them in and trust them, but he would have the Quill's powers for that. He wasn't sure about the other two, but he drank in the gorgeous sight of the large tree. He was certain now that it was some kind of oak. The leaves were ridged and jagged just like an oak's. He saw elves walking on road, climbing stairs, and going down slides all carved into the living bark of the tree. It was impressive how they had built such a city up here in the clouds.

Elven children pointed up at him, gasping and cheering. Their parents would scowl and push them indoors. He could hear the older elves' thoughts of dangerous dragons. It was clear that other dragons had harassed these people in the past. He saw interesting weapons posted at sentry spot here and there. These elves were prepared for an attack, but Darkstalker was certain they had never faced a dragon like him before.

"Look, they even have an elvish King Burger here," Deadpool suddenly cried out.

"A what?" Darkstalker asked.

"It's only one of the greatest American burger establishments ever create, and they hold the pickles!"

"Once again, I have no idea where your taste in food comes from," Darkstalker said.

"First pizza, now hamburgers, we gotta get some junk food into you Darky! Come on, it'll be an adventure!"

"Will it get you to shut up," Huon spat.

"Maaaaybeeee," Deadpool said.

"Then I'm sold," Darkstalker said, and he angled his way over to King Burger.

"Not to be used confused with Burger King," Deadpool reminded them. "Another wonderful American establishment, but that has suffered some decline in food quality since the mid to late 90s. 90s, why did you have ruin everything worth loving!? It's like Justin Bieber killing rap, or Taylor Swift abandoning country!"


	7. Part 1:5 - Too Many Bullets to Bite

Part 1:5 – Too Many Bullets to Bite

Revolver followed Juan, Aizen, and the assortment of elves through a gorgeously carved hall in the massive tree. He kept both hands on his pistols as he dogged the group and his eyes danced like mad taking in the assortment of tall elves, short elves, dark, light, too-long hair styles, and bob cuts, with just about everything else in between. Revolver had never been a fan of fantasy novels, because the reality of the supernatural was way more horrific, but he was certain that the elves never embraced this much diversity.

He was glad that his hat was secured so tightly to his brow, keeping the sweat at his hair line at bay. His anxiety was heightened when he was around too many people, because keeping an eye on possible dangers was almost impossible. On no less than four different occasions, Revolver had nearly been butchered by monsters masquerading as humans in places like mall and on the packed streets of Mexico City. All of these elves now made him even more high strung, because he knew the immediate danger was Aizen.

This man, a former Soul Reaper Captain, was obviously very bad news. Just like the others in the group, he had read up on them on the tablets provided by the Tscheapwhetzar. Unlike the others, he had been out in the open about it. Revolver was the kind of man who wanted to impress on others that he knew about them and that he was capable of killing them, so back off!

Soul Reapers were spirits endowed with amazing powers, so Revolver figured his ghost-killers would be enough to take the confident man out. He would just have to catch the genius off guard. It was frightening to know that the others in the terribly assembled team of villains forced to be vigilantes, but before he been forced as well to join this mission, he had acquired some new gear directly from the Order. Juan had confided in him that he found the supernatural gunslinger trustworthy and wanted him to watch his back.

Revolver was thankful for the youth's forward way of speaking and thinking, and he generally liked the kid. He thought Juan the exact opposite of what his creator was like. What kind of heartless, cruel being put anyone into such a hellish world and tortured them with their friends and family being killed. Was it even his choice to pursue all evil to the ends of the earth and kill them? That promise to rid the entire world of all evil that had spawned his misery was the only thing that kept him going. It was his identity now. His creator had transformed him into this nightmare.

Sure, he may not have looked like a monster, but the worst monsters were those who looked entirely normal and sane.

"Ricardo, why are you walking behind the group," Aizen's soft asked, barely reaching Revolver's ears.

"You know very well why, traitor," he said around grinding teeth.

"There is no reason for me yet to betray this party," Aizen explained calmly, slowing his stride to match Revolver's. "I am right now in the middle of a place I know nothing about, with people I don't understand, and on a quest for an object that would beneficial to me in the long run. There is no reason for to defect."

"You are nothing more than a snake hiding its fangs and tell me you're safe," the gunman sneered. "But I can spot all the telling signs of adder. Aizen, I would love to shoot you right now."

"Then why not pull the trigger and have it done with?" Revolver did not answer the question, but to his horror, Aizen seemed to already know the answer. "It's because of the Order, right? Juan? You have an understanding with him. I am impressed that a child could reach a hardened killer like yourself."

"He's a good kid and makes good sense," Revolver said, despite himself. He cursed himself inwardly, knowing Aizen would use anything he said to his personal advantage. "Just shut up and don't speak again."

"Or what," Aizen began, and Revolver smashed his pistol into the man's nose.

The Soul Reaper stumbled back and clutched his face. The elves all turned in surprise and looked angry, giving Revolver menacing looks.

"We were just coming to an understanding," he tried explain with a smile.

"Then understand that the exit is in that direction," an elf said, pointing back the way they came. "Feel free to see yourself out now."

Aizen rightened himself and smiled. Revolver was angry to see that he hadn't even drawn blood. The Soul Reaper held up a peaceable hand and soothed the elves.

"Please, let him accompany us. The others of the group are not allowed, but they need to be informed of what we discuss here. Having an extra set of ears makes certain that all the vital information is not passed up and is relayed to our allies."

The elves nodded and smiled at Aizen's words and logic, with further incensed the desperado. Revovler holstered his gun with a grunt and continued following the group the rest of the way through the tunnel and to a magnificent pavilion on one of the tree's many great branches. It looked to be made out of finely twisted and sculpted silver. It glowed with a warm light and had many seats that could be rearranged for a large meeting. It was clear that the elves felt that whatever they were about to talk about could be discussed in the open. That made Revolver's heart to sink a bit. That meant they would probably not give up any information they had on the Quill of Inspiration.

There were three other elves waiting for the group. All three were dressed from head to foot in golden armor with jewels encrusted in the plating. Their hair was woven into long, black ponytails, also held together with golden twine and gems. Ricardo wondered just how much money these three wore. It was probably enough to save a slum or two, that is if there was no embezzlement.

The elves pointedly did not pull out a seat for him, so Revolver took a position close behind Aizen, but also made sure he kept a wary eye on the small bridge leading to the pavilion. His anxiety was enough to make him not fret about the fact that they were all suspended over a void of clouds with no way of stopping their fall should the branch break. Juan looked scared, and Ricardo thought it also had nothing to do with the heights. After everyone was seated Juan began shakily.

"Thank you for letting us meet with you," Juan began. "We come as united envoy from the Guardians, the Order, and the Tscheapwhetzar. My name is Writer, and I speak for the Order and my group as a whole. We have come here, because we must find the Quill of Inspiration, also known as the Calamus of Canon before the Abominations and their armies do."

The golden elf in the middle raised up a hand and forestalled any further explanation. A rich female voice emanated from within the helmet and asked, "Why do you let the child speak for you? What kind of pathetic, motely group is this that comes with demons, spirits, dragons, and monsters to my city and demands knowledge of one of the most dangerous tools in all the Realms? And demanded by a child no less! Sir, I had thought better of you when I saw you from afar, but now I feel mistaken."

Revolver and Juan, along with the other members of the Order were surprised to see the elf addressing Aizen directly as though he was the leader.

Aizen shrugged and said with a good-natured voice, "I am not the leader, no matter what appearances may say. It is true, our band is poorly put together, but our matters are urgent. The Abominations are attacking this nebula with great ferocity."

"We know of them," an elf with an unpleasant face sneered. "They are still a long ways off. And we'll ready for them."

"Will you now," Aizen countered with a confident, small smile. "They are very fast and they are strong. I have already seen one world fall to them."

Revolver gave the Soul Reaper a suspicious look. Was he writing off the place where they first encountered the beasts as lost? Or did he know something else? Was he just lying to put the elves off balance. His hands gripped his pistols once more.

"I can assure you that they are coming for everyone and in order to stop them, we need every available asset. You elves have stockpiled a great amount of knowledge here. Also, since this is the Tumblrverse, it is digitized, is it not?"

Some of the elves were not good at hiding their own surprise. Aizen only nodded and continued, "Provide us with access to your archives, and we will be gone. We can even send a signal to our allies for them to come here and further guard your precious tree. Otherwise, I fear that you will fall."

"You come very close to making threats," the lead, golden elf said with a dangerously soft voice.

"Threats are for the weak. Promises are for the strong. Freely given information is something friends do. I am a strong individual who wants to be your ally," Aizen said with an outheld hand. "Please allow us to be the allies that you need."

There was a pause and the lead elf said, "We must counsel among ourselves."

With that, the elves started speaking in their own musical language. It graded Revolver's nerves to no end. He hated the sissiness of their speak, and he hated it especially when people used another language right in front of him. It was the same aggravating thing demons and foreign monsters would do in front of him, plotting obviously.

He glanced over and saw Juan looking lost and frustrated. He heaved and sigh and walked over, making sure to keep an eye on Aizen. "Hey kid, don't worry about it. All elves are jerks."

"Not all of them," Juan moaned. "The elves from Lord of the Rings aren't. At least not in the books."

"Can't help you there," Revolver shrugged.

"I was so looking forward to this… I want to help the Order. I want to end this war! But I'm helpless here! No one takes me seriously, they defer to others like Aizen and even you! I have been so isolated from the Realms and even my own world that I am unprepared for any of this kind of stuff."

"Kid, get a grip and keep your head in the game! Look, things get rough, but the best roll with the punches, see?" Revolver shook Juan roughly. "Just don't give up. Otherwise, you'd do better to throw yourself into the clouds!"

"Thanks?"

"You're welcome," Revolver spat. "Now shape up! No one likes a whiner!"

Revolver turned back to the elves and observed them debate. He had the distinct impression that they were stalling, but over what he could not be certain. It infuriated him to see Aizen sitting there, looking so smug. As though he had turned the entire elven council, or whatever this was, on its head! Just with a few words. He knew from what he had read that Aizen was powerful with his words and presence, but even this was too incredible.

Aizen looked his way and got up. Once he reached him he bent in and said, "You do not have enough bullets my friend."

Revolver raised an eyebrow and then heard a monstrous roar. The entire tree shook and the gigantic leaves fell from the places. Elves clutched anything stable they could to keep a a hold. Aizen vanished, and then reappeared on the other side of the pavilion. His tablet was somehow hooked up a small socket, hidden in the silver carvings.

"It was really quite easy. My hypnotic powers are so far reaching now, that I do not even have to show my sword to anyone," he said calmly, and was still heard over the commotion all around them. Revolver did not wait, but got off two shots at the Soul Reaper's head. "Such a pitiful display."

Aizen did not even flinch as the bullets hit him and bounced off. "My spiritual pressure is on the level of gods, Ricardo. Your bullets, no matter how formidable they are against ghosts and demons on your world, cannot hurt me."

A blade appeared in his hand and a second later, he hit Ricardo hard in the side and sent him crashing into the pavilion's railing. The metal crumpled under the force and weight. Ricardo was certain he had cracked some ribs. But thanks to the trench coat the Order had given him, he was spared from the death. Another gift flew into his hands, a golden gun, one guaranteed to kill with a single shot. He loaded in another ghost bullet for good measure.

"Go to hell, you son of a bitch," he growled, squeezing the trigger.

The bullet took Aizen in the chest, and like the other two, it bounced away harmlessly.

"If Soi-Feng's Suzumebachi cannot kill me, then neither will that golden gun," Aizen explained, as though teaching a small child a very simple lesson. "No one in the group has the level of power needed to best me. Not even if you all joined forces."

"Liar," Ricardo spat. "If that were true, you would have turned on us sooner."

Aizen held up a finger and contradicted him. "No. I needed to come here and patch into the elven network. I have all of their information now. I used the Tscheapwhetzar's tablet, after altering it a bit to go against his wishes, and made it strong enough to take what I needed. From there, it will be easy to piece all of the clues together. I had already solved half of the quest before coming here."

"But how," Juan asked weakly. "And what is that noise?"

"He stole from us," one elf cried out.

"Take him," one of the golden armored elves shouted.

Aizen murmured something, and energy shot from his free hand and consumed half the pavilion. Nearly all of the Order members present were killed in the blast, and so were many elves. Aizen then jumped towards the golden ones. He cut them down like a hot knife through butter. The collapsed and expired quickly. Many other elves did, too, even some other Order members. Revolver had not paid them much attention, not even caring to note their presence as they filtered onto the pavilion after he, Juan, and Aizen had arrived.

How sloppy of me. How could I let this happen!?

As Aizen finished his bloody business, leaving Juan, Revolver, and a few elves left alive, he answered the teen's questions, "By use of my Kyoga Suigetsu, of course. It's hypnotic powers, with which I am now merged, are most formidable. The commotion you hear is the Abomination invasion. I alerted them when we were at the bar. It was there that I also patched into some wealth of underground knowledge. You see, as I said, this is the Tumblverse. Some quick research told me this entire nebula is not only symbolic of what people from your Reality call Tumblr, it holds the entire store of information that passes through that website. Every link, every hashtag, every picture, story, blog, gif, and so much more can be accessed. The Quill if Inspiration would not just be a missing item that could never be found. No, it is hiiden in plain sight to those with the minds and information to find it. I have the brain, and the elves had most of the knowledge.

"However, the underground networks had rumors. Those rumors came from strange comments, odd threads of conversations, and then gossip among thieves and murderers. Clerks who use information for blackmail keep meticulous records and catalog all the information that comes to them. Anyone with big ambition in the underworld knows of the Quill's presence in this nebula, even if it is supposedly impossible to find. It just took me to get it. I knew the elves would fall for a vision of me that they wanted to see, so I gave it to them, much like when Sauron enticed the elves of Eregion. I didn't need an army like others would to break and take what I need, but the Abominations will make sure that I have a clean get away, and take care of our little band without me having to dirty my hands."

All the while Aizen spoke, the tree shook with explosions and the exchange of heavy artillery.

"So much for this place being well protected," Revolver growled. Aizen then started running and Revolver chased after him, shouting over his shoulder, "Juan, keep up!"

Against his better judgement, he also used the tablet to send an urgent voice message to the others, calling for them to meet him as the docks to stop Aizen, the traitor. As he came out of the tunnel, his chest aching from his ribs, he saw a terrible sight. A great monster of darkness with many misshapen limbs was taking hold of the tree and black shadows and space ships were escaping from its maw. More enemies sprung from its hands and ran unnaturally up the side of the tree's trunk.

Space elves rushed past Ricardo, pulling on helmets and whipping out blasters and rifles. He spared a quick thought for how this place managed to have every kind of elf imaginable! The fire fight was beginning in earnest. Aizen reached the docks and began killing those surrounding the ship they had taken from the previous city world. Revolver acted immediately and loaded multiple explosion bullets into his revolvers. He then took aim and fired off a barrage. Aizen used his sword and incredible speed to slice through them, but Revolver was smart and aimed a rogue one at the dock itself.

The ground under Aizen exploded and their ship toppled into the air and plummeted towards the everlasting clouds below. The desperado laughed, his moustache quivering with excitement, as he loaded a missile bullet and fired it off. A giant projectile exploded from his barrel and rushed at Aizen, who cleaved it in two. It exploded around him, but as before, the Soul Reaper walked away from the attack unscathed.

"That was very unwise of you," Aizen said sternly. He appeared beside Revolver a second later using Flash Step. "It's time to be rid of you."

Blue flames blasted Aizen away as Bill walked forward, his arms hanging at a strange 90 degree angle. He was cackling with high laughter. He snapped his fingers and there was another explosion.

"I figured this would happen eventually. And now I get to finally kill you! Aizen, you are such a has been; all you are good for is modeling the newest prison wear. I hope your boyfriend doesn't mind sharing you with the public!"

"Your taunts are as childish as ever," the Soul Reaper said lazily.

"Then how about we spice things up a bit," Bill asked fiercely.

Aizen leaped towards Bill and cut the stolen body in two. Bill, in his true form, erupted from the falling corpse and raged.

"You are nothing without a vessel to inhabit. Nothing more than a dream demon who could never challenge my mind," Aizen gloated. "Now to finish both of you!"

A wave of flames doused Aizen. Revolver had to pull away from the heat and Aizen leaped out, finally looking a little singed. Darkstalker crashed onto the platform and shouted, "All the shrapnel will impale you, Aizen!"

The dragon glowed with brilliant light as the multitude of shards and debris all over, even broken elven bodies, glowed as well and then sped towards Aizen. The ex-Captain smirked and said calmly, "Hado, number 81, Danku."

A barrier of magic sprang up around him and intercepted all of the attacks and missiles from Darkstalker. They quickly piled up on the shield and blocked Aizen from view. It all blew away in fiery ruin the next instant as dragons made of flames consumed the debris and then charged everyone. Juan suddenly appeared and threw down a piece of paper with an odd inscription. The dragons were then drawn to him.

"You fool," Revolver shouted out as he reloaded more bullets.

"If he wants to be the hero, then let him," Bill screamed.

Darkstalker pointed to the piece of paper and commanded, "Make that paper absorb the spell-made dragons and destroy them!"

Again, he glowed, and so did the paper, as it sucked the dragons into it and burst into flame. There was a shout from above and Deadpool swooped in, and Huan flew in after him. Deadpool attempted to strike at Aizen, but the Soul Reaper side stepped him.

"Your powers are too great to leave unchecked, even if you don't fully use them," Aizen said. "Was that in the script?"

"What now?" Deadpool couldn't react fast enough, and his head was severed from his body. Aizen then cast another spell and the mercenaries body was obliterated. "Not my disease ridden, mutilated, hot bod!"

Aizen growled and moved to make the the last thrust when a piece of metal crashed into him, sent flying by Huan.

"How wonderful to see you all finally working together, but a lot of good that will do you," Aizen taunted once more. The tree shook again, sending even Revolver to the ground. "I would love to stay and finish this, but that would be imprudent. I will be off."

With that, he disappeared with Flash Step.

"Let me at him! I will tear him limb from limb," Darkstalker ranted.

"First, we have to survive this," Juan shouted.

"First, I need someone to pick up my head," Deadpool called.

Revolver was mildly surprised to see Darkstalker pick up the grizzly leftovers of the mercenary and plopped the head into his chest pouch. He shook his head and waved to all of them.

"We must follow that traitor! Where can we get a ship?"

"We'll need someone at this point to either crash or bail out of their ship," Bill said

Right then, a space elf ship crashed near them.

"Speak of the disaster and it shall occur!" Bill ribbed his hands together happily. "Darky, cast a spell and get this heap of metal working again!"

"It's Darkstalker!"

As the dragon repaired the broken ship and Huan removed the dead bodies, Revolver watched the battle. The space elves and elves with their magical ships were being overrun by the swarm of ships in the sky. The battle was going to end soon unless something was done. He sighed and pulled out his tablet once more to send a message to the Tscheapwhetzar. He absolutely hated admitting defeat or asking for help. Both bespoke weakness and got you killed in the demon hunting business.

The great monster choking the tree was lowering its head when he saw a magnificent, golden ship sail towards its open maw. He knew instantly, though he could not see who was sailing it, that it had to be Aizen. The he saw the signature spell that confirmed his suspicion. A giant, black box encased the head of the great beast. After a moment, it shattered and the head was gone. The destructive force of Hado 90, the Black Coffin, had only been defied by one person.

The creature careened backwards and also fell into the void of clouds, though much more slowly and dramatically than their stolen ship. Revolver could not help but feel awed at what he saw. Then he heard Darkstalker complain loudly.

"This ship isn't even big enough for me!"

"Then just hold on tight," Bill instructed.

"Do it quick," Revolver spat, shoving Juan into the machine. "It looks like Aizen is opening a portal."

"He's using a technique I'm unfamiliar with," Bill replied, sounding shaken.

"Well go figure," Deadpool's muffled voice came from Darkstalker;s pouch.

"Not to worry! We may not know where he is going, I'm sure we can figure it out," Bill said. "Hey, Johnny boy, what are you doing?"

Juan leaped out of the space craft and searched for something. "We have to try and get the same information Aizen did! He said he had everything he needed to find the Quill!"

"We don't have much time," Huan said in his grinding voice.

"Just please help me," the boy pleaded.

Revolver sighed and could still feel his bad ribs. "Fine. Let's be quick!"

"Gotcha covered," Bill aid happily. "A terminal is over there!"

"We've lost him," Darkstalker said disappointed as Aizen disappeared through a portal.

They quickly got what they needed right as a large, crystal ship like a sword cut through the clouds and engaged the enemy ships. The whole scene was turning into a massacre. Bill opened a portal and said he could only hold it for a short moment. He was now much weaker without a body to inhabit, and one that was used to channeling great amounts of power. With Darkstalker grumbling as he held onto the hull, they made the short jump through the blue circle Bill had conjured and they reappeared somewhere else entirely.

All Revolver Ricardo knew for certain was that they had lost. They had been soundly betrayed and defeated by one man! One man who had used everyone to his advantage, and left them all still confused. It would take a miracle to get them back on track now.


	8. Interlude 1

Interlude 1

Aizen –

It had been tricky, getting out of that battle. Still, he was pleased with himself for having concocted the entire strategy and its many possible outcomes on the fly. He had not known what he could do until the group had foolishly stopped at that seedy bar for information. It was laughable how much Bill Cipher tried to act as though he knew what was going and tried to usurp control over everyone, when he himself was barely in the know. The little, sometime funny demon had been just as oblivious as everyone else to his goals.

Aizen had commandeered a small flying ship for his escape. A long boat crafted in the World of the Living's Viking tradition, but obviously not one for war. He had learned about the comment threads and hashtags from Reality that easily created portals and avenues of travel like an anthill's tunnels. They were easy to exploit if you knew where you wanted to go and had the energy. Aizen had both.

He pulled the ship up to a small inn floating in space, somewhere between the subjects of _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ and _Treasure Planet_. Little, no-name establishments like this would be an excellent place for him to sit back, enjoy some cheap tea, and go over the wealth of information he stole from those pompous elves. If he was fortunate, the others from his party would try retracing his steps. It made him smile at what they would find.

His Kyoga Suigetsu was a remarkable power, and it had served him well in making it this far. Blinding the others to his little projects. Making them hear things that weren't real, or masking his movements. In the unlikely event that the Tscheapwhetzar's misfits ever caught up with him, they would be once more in his power. If Ywach, King of the Quincy and son the Soul King, had fallen victim to his powers, anyone else could.

Well… That wasn't entirely true. The Tscheapwhetzar had found a way around it. Aizen would be better prepared for a faceoff with that monster the next time their paths crossed. Paramount to that was claiming the Calamus of Canon.

Aizen was not interested in using the Quill for what the Hogyoku had been intended. No, it would be an insult to his pride to take the easy way out. However, now that he knew of the Realms, it would be necessary to possess the Quill to create a more controlled environment for his godly experiment. Next time, it would be flawless.

He walked into the inn and smelt the repugnant mix of something very greasy with something very burned. Aliens of different varieties all gave him a quick glance and then determinedly looked away. They felt his dangerous power. He sat down at a free booth and signaled to a waitress with four green heads and curly, blue hair that he was ready to order. She approached him, looking like she would rather throw herself into a black hole.

"I would like your finest green tea and make sure it steeps for fifteen minutes before bringing it to me. And I would like a lemon slice with some honey," Aizen listed off calmly and with his best gentleman's voice.

It was quite likely that this inn didn't have any of that, but the waitress ran off. He settled down with his tablet while awaiting his order. He looked out the window and saw four teenagers with the noses presses against the glass, staring at him. Definitely angsty ones. They yelped and ducked out of sight. Aizen just shook his head and looked at his screen.

There was a lot of information here. Based on what he had already stolen and figured out with his own superior intellect, he was certain that before he finished his second cup of tea, he would have the exact location to the Quill of Inspiration. It was child's play, really.

Ezekiel –

The Abomination walked across the now black and cracked surface of a Guardian cruiser. These gaudy ship of white crystal and clear glass were a pain to deal with, but so satisfying to _crush_. Ezekiel was using his powers to turn the dead ship to his own purposes. It would be grand to fight the Guardians with one of their own battle cruisers turned against them. He smiled widely at the thought.

It was _something_ to smile at. He had recently received news that one of his fellow Abominations had fallen in combat to the Tscheapwhetzar right at the edge of the Tumblr nebula. It angered him greatly that one of his own could be so weak. It was even more infuriating to know that he himself was not invincible. He wanted to confront the Tscheapwhetzar and make him bleed for the more than a dozen creatures like himself had that had perished at the traitor's hands.

 _Tha_ t is _something that I might be able to do_ , Ezekiel contemplated. _He was foolish enough to send a band in the open to try and capture of the Quill of Inspiration. While my forces do their own hunting for the legendary item, I will be sure that his hunters are dogged by my very best. Yes… If they should find the Quill before me, they will be killed. If not, then they will be slaughtered anyway._

It was a straightforward plan, but one that would be a little difficult to execute. The Tscheapwhetzar's men had vanished through two different portals during the attack on the Elven Tree of Ancient Connections. A thoroughly bland and stupid name, in Ezekiel's opinion. He was happy that it had been largely destroyed in the battle. There were much greater prizes to be had in the Tumblrverse.

He just now had to reach out and take them.

The Tscheapwhetzar –

The ancient, elven tree was smoldering. Entire limbs that could have held town and even small cities had been blasted away. Corpses were strewn everywhere. The Tscheapwhetzar walked among the bodies, not really paying attention if he stepped over or on them. He looked up at his battle ships, which had knocked the monstrous beast that transported the Shadows out of the sky. The clouds were still parted where it had fallen to oblivion. Songs of mourning echoed all around him.

It was all pretty tragic, but after seeing so many worlds fall (some of them by his own hand) the revulsion had long since left him. Instead, he was pondering how mad the Guardians might be when they found out that he had taken this site. He was a Tscheapwhetzar after all, a collector and corrupter. Stealing things and making them his own through his own Accursed powers, it was the closest to creation he could get. That was the curse of being a Tscheapwhetzar, being able to create things of himself were nearly impossible. His empire and powers were fundamentally built of lies and theft.

 _That could all change with the Quill, though_ , he mused. But that was a thought he quickly discarded.

Honestly, it was tempting to use the Quill for himself, but it felt like a cop put, somehow. So as to remove the temptation, he had assembled villains to do the job of extracting the Quill of Inspiration for him. He felt it was a real win-win, and he loved to see that scoreboard lit up with W's! If the team he had put together worked out in the best possible, he would have a number of powerful, reformed villains at his disposal for the war and for anything else in the future. That would prove many important things to him on a personal level.

If everything should go up in flames, like he guessed it was right now, with the teams breaking apart, it was also a win. They would all seek out the Quill, and if one found it, the others would hound the victor and light up the Tumblrverse with wherever they were at. It would be easy to play catch up. It was one good way to avoid being in the Tumblr nebula longer than needed. He hated the whole ball of angsty wax.

However, seeing the team fall apart caused him to doubt… A doubt for any kind of redemption for a man whose hands were just as filthy with blood and gore as any Abomination's.

Sighing, he thought _, It's like letting the cats out of the bag. You can't easily get them back in, so you might as well enjoy their antics of freedom. You just can't put a good price tag on chaos!_

Author's Note: Bill Cipher's participation and how he was recruited into this whole affair is very important. It triggers a series of events across the Realms that will have consequences throughout many books and stories. If you want to read how he was recruited and what he did before the Villainous Vigilantes, check out Twins of Essence and Gravity Falls Season 3.

I bring this up, because for one, the great Axolotl plays an important role in a few stories regarding the Realms of Imagination. For those who don't know about him, I highly recommend watching _Gravity Falls_ and checking out _Journal #3_ from Alex Hirsch and Disney. But to continue on, the Axolotl is the opposite to Bill, and though he keeps out of the major conflict, his presence and help will come in, you just have to keep an eye open for it.

My second point for bringing this up is this, as my stories all unfold, there will be a lot of big power players who get pulled in from other stories and from original worlds and tales. Their stories are not wholly told through this war, but you get to see how they react to a conflict in which no story and no being is safe. I feel that it is something to watch out for and something that I hope readers will one day discuss among themselves. How do even OP characters act to situations where they suddenly find themselves out of their depth? I personally think it leads to some fun ideas and good conversations. Which is something I hope to show you with Bill as this story continues.

Needless to say, canonically, Bill Cipher's fate is in Alex Hirsch's hands. BUT, this story and the people caught within it are entirely in mine. Mwahahaha! (If you don't know this yet, writers take a wonderful, devilish pleasure in wreaking havoc on the lives of their characters and, if possible, their readers as well.)


	9. Part 2:1 - Charting a New Course

In some dark forest, on some Guardian's forsake place in the Tumblrverse, the group the Tscheapwhetzar had sent out to find the Quill of Inspiration huddled around a fire Darkstalker had lit for them. Everyone, except Juan. He was off by himself, tears spilling down his cheeks. He had failed!

He had not kept the group together and his lack of leadership had allowed Aizen to betray them and kill so many innocent people. Juan cursed his own lack of experience. He should never have taken on this important role! What would Madam say when she found out? How he could ever look Silver Knight in the face again?!

A vicious roar snapped him back to his present situation and he looked around his hiding spot to see the surviving villains arguing.

"Even with all of that power, you couldn't even slow him down, Cipher, you have no room to criticize my powers," Darkstalker fumed. "And without your old vessel, you are just a weak, painted triangle."

"That's a savvy and snappily dressed, _animated_ triangle to you, Mr. Morning Breath," Bill snapped.

"It's Darkstalker," the dragon roared again.

"And don't wear it out," Bill teased.

"Shut it, both of you," Huon spat. "None of us could have defeated Aizen the way he was. It was foolish of our sponsor to even send him along with us in the first place."

"It's all in the script," Deadpool's muffled voice shouted from within Darkstalker's pouch. "It'll all work out somehow, trust me. I've read ahead!"

Darkstalker punched his chest and the mercenaries severed head gave a quick yelp. The dragon growled, "Shut it!"

"Why did you even pick that thing," Huon sneered.

"Better yet, I want to know how he's still alive after losing his body," Bill said gleefully. "I can only imagine the things I would begin doing with that secret to immortality. Tortures galore! Even more entertaining than the ever-screaming head!"

"It's easy," Deadpool answered. "I can even do it to you. Take some super potent super soldier serum cooked up by kanooks and inject it first into your gonads. From there, let it spread and pressurize in a test tube for a few hours. You it's working when you're screaming-"

Darkstalker socked his pouch and Deadpool once more and snarled, "Speak again without my permission, and I'll eat you."

"That would do us all a big favor," Huon sighed. "Why not do it now and get it over with?"

"Where's the fun in that," Bill asked. "We could use him as a volleyball, or a soccer ball, even better yet, a paddleball!"

As he spoke, Bill summoned different sport uniforms onto himself, starting with a skimpy beach volleyball onesie, then a soccer referee polo, and finally a wife beater. He gave Darkstalker's pouch an uncomfortably smug look and laughed wickedly.

"I would rather put off indigestion," Darkstalker answered Huan. "Also, if what he says has any value, then it might be good to keep him around. Also, a talking head is a novelty, even if it does come from him."

"I knew that introducing you to pizza was going to pay off big somehow," Deadpool cheered.

"That was nothing more than taste," the dragon sniffed, flicking the head this time.

"Yeah, but it all begins with just a taste! Like Squidward and the Krabby Patty! Plus, just then you didn't eat me," Deadpool pointed out.

"Indigestion," Darkstalker grunted, proceeding to punch the mercenary again through the pouch.

"Well, what do we do now? Just give up and signal the Tscheapwhetzar to pick us up? Try and go home our own ways," Huon asked. "Really, no prospect fancies me."

"I know one that will," Bill said happily. "We are going to hunt down Izzy, the OP Soul Reaper, and make him pay for what he did to us! We'll get our hands on the Quill and do all manner of unspeakable things to him, before going and taking care of our own stories! Don't you guys realize, that from here the sky's the limit!"

"That course of action sounds very self-serving for you," Darkstalker responded suspiciously.

"I agree," Huon said as softly as he could in his grinding voice.

As the three continued to argue, with Bill trying to convince them that hunting Aizen down would be the most advantageous decision for all of them, Juan got tapped on his shoulder. He jumped and whipped his head back to face Revolver Ricardo, the dangerous, demon-slaying gunslinger he had written and brought to life. He gulped and was about to pull away when the desperado squatted beside him.

"Boy, we are in a bit of a pickle. First of all, that dragon can hear thoughts, and he'll not be missing what we have to say. Though to appease him for now, I am not going to double cross him, only warn him and you very strongly, I will not stand for any more of this nonsense! We were given a job. That job has gone south, and now a very, very dangerous man is going to lay hands on something even more terrifying. We need to get that Quill. However, we cannot do it without help. I hate to admit it, but we must work together. That means you, too, Juan."

Juan shook his head and groaned, "But what can we do? Aizen was only defeated both times in the manga through total dues ex machina! Sure, we have Bill and Darkstalker here, and I'm sure you and Huan are very capable in a fight." He definitely knew that his creation could _dominate_ in a fight, but… "We together do not have the ability to stand up to a god-like being!"

"Maybe not right now, but I have seen stranger things in the past few days than I have seen in all my years destroying evil and fighting hell to do so. I believe that there is an answer out there somewhere. Maybe there is some information that we can use from the elves against Aizen? Beat him to the Quill?"

Juan shook his head and said, "There was a virus in the data. I think that Aizen prepared it, from the Japanese I saw in the code. It all but destroyed my tablet. There was nothing in there I could use."

Revolver shook him and said, "Then we press forward and don't give up! There must be a way! I refuse to let this bastard get the better of me!"

The teen shook his head. There was nothing he could do! Being on this mission defied what the Order stood for, even if was meant to curry favor with the Guardians. This was not worth it. It was a complete disaster! Then he paid attention to Bill's argument about using the Tumblrverse's own powers and nigh infinite connection against Aizen. It gave him a terrible, long shot idea, but it was better than nothing.

He clapped his own hands on Ricardo's shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Ricardo, this is a mess that I do not want to be a part of. I am pretty sure we are doomed to failure. I am cut off from the Order right now, and I do not trust the Tscheapwhetzar. I do not trust the others over there as well, but I agree, we cannot let Aizen get the Quill! At least, we should not go down without a fight. I'm sorry for being a sissy…"

"Not everyone is born strong," Revolver shrugged.

Juan laughed at his creation's stubborn ways. He had written the desperado too serious and despondent, but he was glad to have him nearby right now.

"Yes. I wasn't born strong, but you were. I want to help you and do what it is right. Like I said, I doubt we can succeed, but… Well, I'm not even sure. I'm babbling now," Juan said truthfully. "But I want to see Aizen pay for betraying us. Yes, we were never a tight knit team, but that is no excuse."

"We still aren't a tight knit group," Revolver pointed out bluntly.

"Exactly, but there is potential, anger, and power here," Juan said adamantly. "Let's at least put it to good use!"

"That's what I've been trying to say," Ricardo sighed.

"Sorry, babbling, you know," Juan said sheepishly.

"You have an idea up your sleeve, I take it. What is it then?"

"I just wanted to convince myself that I can do this," Juan said. "I mean, I'm about to do the impossible without any clue as to what I'm doing and doing it with people I cannot trust besides you!"

"Why me," Revolver asked.

"Because… Because I've read up on you. You are vicious to your enemies, but at heart a good man."

The desperado laughed and said, "I'm not so sure about that, but thank you for the vote of confidence."

"Anytime," Juan grinned. "So, I do have a plan, and it revolves around Bill Cipher. He really wants to get back at Aizen, and he wants the Quill. I think that if we enable him to hunt Aizen down, he can eventually get us there. We let him do the heavy lifting at first while you and I prepare a method that should bring the Soul Reaper down while I also figure out how to contact the Order. We get them to retrieve the Quill and not the Tscheapwhetzar. A long shot yes, but it _is_ the right thing to do!"

Juan's personal desire for revenge against Aizen and the Tscheapwhetzar, the drive to redeem himself of his previous mistakes, and the dream of shaming the villains by the fire made it possible for him to wipe away the tears and walk out from behind the tree. Bill turned around in his cartoonish way and eyed Juan and his character carefully. Darkstalker laughed.

"Humans are so noisy. A lot of nothing to really think about, so what is most important in their thoughts stands out like a bonfire at night," the dragon said gleefully. "You have a plan, do you? You want to do us in somehow, and redeem yourself. Ha! Haven't you just painted yourself a villain like the rest of us!"

He stopped in his tracks and Juan blanched as he realized that he had known about the dragon's mindreading and had not prepared himself. His sudden surge of inspiration and realization came to an abrupt stop. Bill popped up next Juan and laughed along with the dragon.

"So, you have a plan, so do I! Tell me if it runs along the same lines as yours: We are going to chase after Icy Boy and his crazy sword, we're going to kill him, get the Quill, change our lives for the better, and we'll kill anyone who gets in our way!"

Juan gulped and answered, "Something like that. But no, we are going to do this right! I'm going to contact the Order and-"

"Not so fast, Johnny! You are one of us now, a villain," Bill said, cutting him off.

"Speak for yourself," Huon crumbled.

"Now then, for a snazzy name for our little band," Bill continued on, rubbing his hands.

"Villainous Vigilantes," Deadpool shouted from the bag. "It's the title!"

"Cheesy, a play on words, and oddly endearing, though it sounds written by a fifteen-year-old, not sorry Johnny," Bill said offhandedly. "Sounds perfect! We're taking it!"

Darkstalker shook his head, amused and flicked Deadpool again to get him to shut up.

"Johnny, we are going to all get our revenge on Aizen, and with the Quill, you can have what you want, but not after we get what we want," Bill said slyly. He looked at Revolver and chuckled, "Ricky, I promise you that if you help us out with our plan, you'll get a shot at the one who has put you through so much pain. Johnny, Juan, Writer, whatever the time cursed Pines you call yourself, I swear that if you follow us and give us your Order know-how when it is needed, I'll keep you safe until the end! Deal?"

Bill held out his hand, wreathed with blue flames. Juan knew then and there that he was cornered. The dream demon was going to use him, and if he wanted to live, he'd have to play along and try to really win over Revolver. He looked over at the Steel Inquisitor and the dragon. Both had strange expressions, as though their next decision was based on what he did. Consigning himself to a very difficult road ahead, but the only one in which he might survive long enough to achieve his own goals, he took Bill's hand.

"See? That wasn't so difficult!" Bill then turned to the others. "These guys are in on the adventure. How about? We all have a grievance against Aizen, our lives suck as they are, and the chance for redemption is out there! Let's go!"

"But first, where are we even going to start," Huon interjected.

"My optically challenged friend," Bill began. "We are going to get ourselves descent ship for a change, and then we are going to go to a source of knowledge that Aizen can't corrupt. It will be dangerous, but if we can tap it, we will have everything we need to chase him down and the Quill!"

"And where do we get a decent ship," Juan pressed.

"The only place you can find anything reliable in the Tumblrverse," Bill cackled. "In the trash!"


	10. Part 2:2 - We Are Not Reavers!

Huon hated the glaring brightness of the metal surrounding them. Bill had spirited the group to a trash yard. Endless piles of broken ships, bent rebar, scraps, and more were generated from all of the trash people posted and reblogged on Tumblr every day. This was the scrap yard that came as a result of all that. According to Bill, there were other places like this, except you got garbage or literal refuse as the representation of all that internet trash.

Here, in this expansive trash heap, the Vigilantes expected to acquire a new ship, which allow them to more easily and effectively navigate through the Tumblrverse. While it would be a welcomed change to travel more comfortably and more directly, Huon was not pleased with the idea of being surrounded by so much shinning metal. He had insisted on there being a cabin with a wooden interior, or something similar to give his eyes some rest.

At the moment, Bill was talking it up with some of scavengers and mechanics in the endless junkyard of internet waste.

"So we need a cruiser that is big enough to let everyone aboard, including scales over there! The teen's picking up the tab on this one."

"I will not," Juan huffed.

Huon was getting fed up with the antics of the Order member. He was certain the others felt the same and was tempted to start pushing and pulling on his emotions through his stolen Allomancy. He hesitated though, because he was unsure if Juan was able to sense the manipulations of his emotions.

"I only got one question fer ya," the portly and short leader of the scavengers said, hitching his pants under his sagging belly. "Do you guys like Steven Universe?"

"Hate his whiney guts. Would love to spill them though," Bill responded excitedly.

"I have no clue who you are talking about," Darkstalker said, bored.

"What does that have to do with getting a ship," Revolver asked.

"I could think of better cartoons," Deadpool called from the sack. "Like We Bare bears. What secrets is that Ice Bear hiding!? The world may never know!"

Juan only groaned, and Huon soon found out why. The workers exploded into a tirade of how stupid and bigoted the group was.

"Well, we are villains," Huon said in his grinding voice.

"Villainous Vigilantes," Darkstalker pointed out. "There is a big difference there."

"Not from where I'm standing," the steel inquisitor muttered.

"You can forget the ship and clear out, you bastards," the fat man raved.

"And why am I not allowed to cuss," Deadpool complained, earning him another flick from the dragon.

Huon also decided not to mess with the emotions of these men. Their random, dumb question, and their sudden outburst marked them as incompetent in his book. The others seemed to agree. Bill was about to curse them, but Huon held up a hand in front of the demon's eye.

"Leave them be, for now," he whispered. "We might have some kind of use for them later."

Bill flipped himself about and scrutinized the inquisitor's face. "I really can't tell what's going on in there, and not just because you're burning copper, but your lack of eyes give you the best poker face! We'll have to put that to use sometime soon, I think! Hahaha!"

They moved away from the scavengers, who sent them off with bits of debris being hurled at them. Darkstalker blew a plume of flames that made them scamper back a bit, but they found their lashing tongues again soon enough. Huon though paid more attention to the thought about copper. He had learned that by burning his copper he could make Darkstalker's mind reading very difficult, if not impossible. It also interfered with how Bill could influence him or even gain access to his mind.

That was all very useful, personally, but he quickly learned, as when Darkstalker detected Juan's true motives, that those around him were not protected when he burned copper. He idly wondered if it was a matter of not flaring copper, or if the Allomantic power wasn't even as powerful as he thought, but more of a big nuisance to mind invaders like the dragon and the demon. He would only know if he experimented, but further experimentation might also allow his cunning compatriots a chance to find a solution to his own solution!

They passed another group of scavengers and Bill shifted a mountain of scrap metal to fall on them and bury them. "You said you wanted those others alive, so I had to take my frustration out somewhere!"

Everyone ignored him, except for revolver who finally shouted, "What are we even doing here Cipher? You keep leading us on wild goose chases! Aizen could be near the Quill by now, if not already have it in his hands! And all because you have a fascination with sight seeing and pointless slaughter!"

"Have you seen this place," Bill asked. "This is a trash heap made up of the random, pointless comments and arguments that make up Tumblr. We can even find senseless witch hunts, like that over there!"

The group turned to see a number of people taking a poor child and some other scavengers and burning them, calling racist pigs.

"That's a little too close for comfort," Juan said uneasily.

"I like death and chaos, but these Tumblr freaks have no finesse or reason to them. Even their randomness and impulsiveness is nothing more than fueled triggering, allowed by the fact that they have diminished or non-existent social lives and live vicariously through fictional characters! It's just too pathetic, and plus this place has no aesthetics," Bill gripped.

"Point made," Revolver admitted grudgingly.

Huon watched the strange, vindictive man, pull a gun out and load a shining bullet into it. Huon had learned while around the man that certain kinds of brightness and light determined the strength of magical metals and of souls in this mixed universe, something that was not to be had on Scadrial. At least, not in this way. The bullet was exceptionally bright, and so the inquisitor inferred that it was a powerful one.

Sure enough, a shot rang out, and the impromptu witch hunt and burning ended with everyone three trash mountains over being obliterated in an explosion.

"Where have you been hiding those," Bill wondered.

"Away from you and for a special occasion," Revolver sneered.

"Like when Aizen betrayed us," Darkstalker accused.

"Let's not bring this up again," Huon sighed.

"Well, excuse me for pointing the flawed rationale, and that this man has no real moral ground to stand on!"

"And you do, dragon," Revolver challenged.

"Gun, come to me," Darkstalker sneered.

The gun burst with even more light, just like Darkstalker, and it flew into the dragon's outstretched claw. Revolver cursed and charged Darkstalker.

The dragon laughed and commanded, "Hit him in the head."

The gun did just that, and then it kept hitting him. Huon observed this carefully. He wondered if the command was based more intent, or on wording. Darkstalker liked to keep things close to the chest and did not always explain himself. Finally, Darkstalker told the gun to stop, and they both stopped glowing.

"Nice going there, not pulling an anime and keeping your secrets safe," Deadpool congratulated him. "Huon there was wondering, and too is the audience that has never read _Wings of Fire_. That confusion will be a wonderful-"

"Shut up," Darkstalker sighed, flicking his head again. "Why I don't eat you is beyond me."

"I think you said it had something to do with indigestion" Huon prompted.

"Can we just get going again," Juan asked, weary and clearly losing it.

"Well, we don't have far to go, here is a good place!" Bill pointed to another mountain of scrap nearby. He then explained, "So I wanted to get something that would suit all of our needs. Those guys back there specialize in TARDIS and Gem spacecraft technology. All of which would accommodate Darkstalker and be really, really fast. However, they are pricks with sticks up their butts, so I decided to go with the few guys still interested in _Star Craft_."

Juan looked surprised and said, "You were actually looking for a decent ship, even in this mess? Impressive! Wait, how did you even know where to look?"

"They have maps inscribed on sheets of metal," Bill answered. "Honestly, and you call yourself a writer. Keep your eyes peeled, kid!"

With that, Bill peeled Juan's eyelids off like banana peels. The teen screamed, but his eyes quickly reverted to normal. Bill laughed at his own joke and floated to the next trash heap.

There they found a large crew willing to repurpose an old battle cruiser for their use. It would have the hangars and storage areas gutted for Darkstalker, and they even agreed to lay a few rooms with wood and other non-metal materials to allow Huon to go about without blinding himself. Huon finally got to use his brass and soothed the emotions of the scavengers and dealers, allowing Revolver and Juan to talk down the price. Darkstalker cheated a little in the payment, by turning scraps of metal into bars of gold when others weren't looking. But it served the purpose.

As the workers got started on refitting the large battle cruiser, something that Huon felt was too boring and too advanced for him anyway, he asked Bill and Darkstalker to follow him. Juan was fascinated by what the scavengers were doing with the battle cruiser, and Revolver wasn't leaving his side, so he felt it was now a good time to split up.

"What is it that you want, tin eyes," Bill asked.

"I want to pay those earlier guys a visit. They insulted us, and I feel the need to pay them back. Also, I need to equip myself better if we are going to face off with Aizen," Huon explained quickly.

"That still doesn't explain why you need us here," Darkstalker pointed out.

"I need Bill to restrain them while you, Darkstalker, use your animus powers to change them into Feruchemists and Allomancers of certain abilities. Chiefly, I want those who burn bendalloy and cadmium. Those powers will allow me to influence the flux of time around myself and Aizen in battle."

Bendalloy to create pockets of compressed time, effectively speeding it up, and cadmium for slowing down time in a certain radius.

Huon did not explain the more personal reason for doing this. Sure, it was practical, but since being taken from his home world, he lacked the connection to the Lord Ruler. More importantly, he now lacked the connection with Ruin. He felt he was now without much purpose except for a vague notion of revenge. The prospect of violence kept him going now. He needed it to stay alive. He had wanted to kill people back there earlier, but now he'd get the chance! Death linked him to Ruin, the aspect of change, but especially change into nothing. How perfect and natural. Huon was not in a perfect or natural setting for himself. Some death, some stealing of powers, as only inquisitors were capable of, was definitely something he needed then.

Once they found the earlier group of Steven Universe fans, they were greeted with more insult and jibes. Bill rose over them all and glowed blue. The landscape became grey and the men froze with shock.

"Just tell me what you want done," Darkstalker said.

Huon indicated which ones he wanted changed and he pulled out some metal scraps and requested that be made into different kinds of spikes. It became very bloody very quickly. Bill couldn't restrain the men so easily, on account of his weakened state after fighting Aizen. However, Huon was very fast, having stored plenty of speed, a useful Feruchemist trait. He ran down the scavengers and bludgeoned them to the ground. He then rammed the spikes through their hearts and took the metal, sticking it into his own flesh.

Oh, what exquisite pain! He finally felt alive, and for a few minutes he knew purpose once more! Death! It was the perfect form of ruin, of change, as one element transformed forever into another one. And piece by piece, murder by murder, Huon became even more powerful.

Then it was over all too quickly.

Bill and Darkstalker watched with amazement at what Huon did, then Bill helped with trashing and destroying the place, covering up the bodies. In the process, they scrounged up some materials to add to the battle cruiser. They found a stash of mullah and decided to use it to bribe the other scavengers to make the additions. Bill found a metal statue of Steven Universe and melted the face off with his eye laser. He then drew a frowny face into the hot metal.

"Take that you lump of eternal, prepubescent hormones and feelings," the demon shrieked. "How you survived season one, I'll never understand."

One man groaned from within the rubble, someone Huon had missed. "It gets a whole lot better after season one. Plus, you need the slice of life in order to-"

Darkstalker pulled the man out and popped him into his mouth. As he chewed he said, "Deadpool already put together a list of the must-see episodes for the show. He assured me I can ignore the rest."

Huon found himself laughing at that comment. Had they really just done what they had/ It was now so senseless, yet it was important, in the long run, or so he hoped. He also had to laugh, now that the moment had passed and melancholy was settling in. So he forced himself to laugh even more until he couldn't stop. The others joined in and they started crying.

Towing the stolen materials and the statue with them, they soon added them to the ship. The Steven statue became the ship's hood ornament, and it was outfitted with faster than lightspeed capabilities, and a room whose environment could be changed into hundreds of different possibilities. Juan was not happy about how they got the items, but Revolver oddly seemed to approve. It was clear that the group was now lost to the Order kid, and he was now just along for the ride.

As the ship was worked on, Huon again worked with Darkstalker to create the metals he would need to fuel his powers. It was tricky to get the right mixtures right for bendalloy, but eventually they succeeded. The dragon was forced to keep using his Stormlight to make the metals change a mix according to Huon's instructions.

It took longer than anyone wanted, but eventually, the ship was up and running. Its computers were collaborated with what was known of Tumblr, Bill's knowledge of the Tumblrverse, and maps from the Order. Juan had requested them through special transmissions, and was forced to leave out what was really going on to his superiors.

"You're getting the hang of this," Bill had taunted then.

Juan had not been to happy already, on account of Bill trying to get dead bodies and zombies chained all over the ship.

"We are not Reavers," Juan had shouted.

"Fine then, but then e get access to the Order's maps. They'll fill in the gaps we have about the Tumblrverse, hopefully," Bill had bargained. "That, or the dead go up. I for one want to look like we come bringing death and disease! I mean, Revolver already does that, but you can't tell from afar!"

Before they finally took off, Huon made his way into the environmental changing room, something they had stripped from a TARDIS. He found Darkstalker in there, poring over scroll and checking a computer. When the dragon saw him, he punched in a command, and the room changed into a cramped storage space with a blocky computer.

"The room's all yours, Huon," Darkstalker said pleasantly. "After our recent dealings, my Stormlight is running a little low, but I think I found a way to get some more as we travel."

He smiled at Huon as squeezed out of the room. The inquisitor doubted that was all the dragon had been doing. He was certain that Darkstalker was planning something, but what it was he could not be sure of. He went to the computer and spoke a command. The room changed to fir a office in Kredik Shaw, in Luthadel. Home. A sleek, large computer screen remained however, and Huon got to work on his own project.

Once he had what he wanted from Aizen, he was commandeering this ship and taking straight back to Scadrial.


	11. Part 2:3 - Mind Games

Though the crew called the spaceship _Villains' Revenge_ , Bill personally called it the _Coffin._ Mostly that was because he enjoyed the morbid sound to it. Also, because he thought that spaceships made great void coffins. Expensive, decadent, pointless deathtraps. He couldn't get enough of them! If one ever flew into the Chaos Dimension, he loved popping them open like a broken joint!

Now the _Coffin_ floated before the ever-shifting Rubik's Cube Brain of the Tumblrverse. All of those internet binging nerds and people with no life would have never suspected where so much knowledge was stored. In the center of a space within the nebula, where all other matter was repelled, the massive, colorful cube sat suspended and twisting. It held secrets from throughout Tumblr, collecting and analyzing all of the data.

Bill had convinced the rest of the Vigilantes that by coming here he could discover the location of the Quill of Inspiration. However, the truth was that even though the knowledge was in there it would destroy anyone who attempted to gain it. The Cube understood the great danger the Quill posed to the Realms, and guarded it in its own way. That was fine for Bill, because his purposes in being here were other than just the Quill. He could easily gain a map that would eventually lead him to the Quill by poking around in the Cube's memory banks, but more importantly, Bill was here to gain his powers back and guard his thoughts against Darkstalker.

He planned on betraying this fellow Vigilantes with the Quill and getting back at the Tscheapwhetzar for taking him out of Gravity Falls, superseding his spell with the Axolotl, and pressganging him into this insane war. He would repay Aizen for double crossing him. He would finally get his revenge on the Pines. Sure, he could try and reach Alex Hirsch, but that day would be something to wait for. It was better now to achieve his immediate goals than over extend himself. He was a long game player, and he knew to savor his victories.

 _But how Pine Tree managed to undermine me and bring about my defeat… I still haven't figured that out! My eyebats should have caught him, but somehow he escaped! How 8 Ball and Teeth could have allowed that to happen either! No, I can't dwell on that failure, I just need to secure the Quill!_

Easy peasy, blood squeezy.

"Alright party people, and Juan," Bill said loudly. "I am going to scadoodle it over to the Rubick's Cube and infiltrate it. That is where we will get the information about the Quill's location!"

"I still don't understand why the Tscheapwhetzar didn't send us here first if the information is that easy accessible," Juan replied hotly.

"And this is why you don't belong with the party people kid," Bill said. "It's probably also why you'll never get laid, either!"

"Just answer the question, triangle," Revolver spat.

"Careful Ricky, or you'll find yourself on the same list as Juan," Bill warned. "How many times to have to say it before it pierces your thick skull, kid? The information in the Cube is very, very heavily guarded. It's dangerous for anyone other than a master of the mind to enter."

"Then I should accompany you," Darkstalker's voice came over the intercom, as he was patched in to the conversation from the hanger bay. "I am very good at breaking into the mind."

"Stalky," Bill said patiently, wagging a finger, even though the dragon couldn't see him. "You only recently acquired the power to read human and some other minds through the Hemalurgic spike in your ear. You are good at breaking into dragon minds, but you are not a master of the mind in general. I however am. By going in alone, we only risk me, which should make Juan happy. If I die, then he takes over. If I succeed, we are that much closer to the Quill!"

The dragon rumbled. Bill prided himself on the solid logic of his argument. Huon had already agreed with it, and Bill was certain that the Steel Inquisitor was ambivalent either way. Ricky Revolver was as thick as thieves with Juan, which made sense on many levels. But that stupid gun slinger overestimated himself greatly. He would learn that the hard way some day.

"I understand," Darkstalker said reluctantly. "Are you sure that we can breathe air out there?"

"Yes and no," Juan sighed. "Weren't you paying attention earlier, during the planning session?"

"I lost interest when Bill started talking about how he was going to do everything," the dragon admitted dully. "Seriously! What is the good of my being here, if I can barely contribute beyond a handful of simple spells and carrying Deadpool's head!?"

"You need to pay better attention," Juan said testily. "This spot is an anomaly in the nebula where nothing really resides, other than the Cube, but instead of creating a vacuum, basically anything goes here. Even breathing in nothing."

"Then I definitely need to try that out," Darkstalker said with mock enthusiasm.

"Yes, and I really need to get into the Cube and find us what we need," Bill cut in, tipping his hat to everyone. "Ollie out!"

With that, he crashed through the ship's bridge and flew towards the shifting structure.

Bill zoomed towards a door that appeared in the Cube's moving color panels. The problem with this place was it was like a prison where the door constantly shifted its position and often what you saw wasn't even the real door. In this case, this wasn't a real door, but that was fine. This Cube was built on a certain foundation of logic, and if there was one thing Bill was good at, it was breaking the rules. He had become even more adept at it after spending time with the Tscheapwhetzar. That guy thrived on bending rules and breaking them to gain absolute power. If Bill didn't want to get back at him, they might have made quite the team!

To no one in particular, Bill said, "When you create a fake door, you create a door that lacks a defined purpose. Sure, you've given it one, but it is a lie, and most things in the universe want to live a truth, rather than a lie. But, it gets even better when you realize that most things, even fake doors can't abide the full truth, because that terrifies them! Ha!"

Bill pushed himself through the door, and it started glowing with blue flames. "So, what you must do to manipulate anything to become or do what you want is to feed it an even greater lie that it desperately wants to be the truth, because that new truth is the opposite of the truth they should embrace! Every single thing in creation exists along this one rule, and the only way to escape it is to embrace the weird completely, because there truth and lies run together become simply fun! That is the highest form of existence that anyone can attain!

"Ford, you fool! You gave up everything for the lie of family! I feel for that once, but now I am free. I will return one day to turn that lie on its head and destroy you! Through every dimension of space and time! Hahaha!"

It worked! He told the door that it really was the front door, and that its purpose in dissuading intruders was to let one in to die, to scare away further ones. It was a lie that pleased the door, because it wanted so desperately to be the front door, and not just a fake door to frustrate those who sought entrance. Just like that, Bill was allowed in.

"It is true that I face death inside here, but when you've gone through it once before, the experience is kind of underwhelming," Bill proclaimed as he glided further in the Cube.

The inside of the cube was like Escher's _Relativity_ , but it continuously shifted and changed with the Cube's outer movements. The entire inside was a giant, processing brain, but that information could only be reached from certain points. This complex maze was another good reason why both the Tscheapwhetzar and Aizen had no come here. Too risky. But not for him!

Bill stood back for a moment to admire the chaos of the setting, but also its purpose. He also waited for the Cube's antibodies to find him. Soon, flying brains came flying towards him. Some were alight with purple fire, others had claws growing out of them, while others he knew hide their true forms underneath the gray and pink flesh. He laughed maniacally.

"For a giant brain, this place doesn't get very creative beyond the decor!" Bill pointed at the door he had just entered through, and the brains attacked it, sensing the foreign power residing in it.

Attacking the door, activated the outside defenses, and a brilliant flash of light streamed inside and fried all of the brains to ash. Bill had flown back to avoid getting roasted. The light coalesced and became a massive knight dressed in what Bill recognized as Shardplate. Ever since Brandon Sanderson had released his third _Stormlight_ book, this magical armor had become even more popular.

The annoying thing was how the armor protected the wearer from any magical attack, which would make it difficult for Bill to get the glowing knight. The good thing however, was that he didn't need to fight the knight. Only escape from it. Bill zoomed up a rotating staircase.

More brains started popping up, trying to locate him, and he kept himself in the open. He couldn't really hide in a place like this, so why even bother? As he flew around he spotted what he was looking for: more brains! These newer, rainbow colored brains traveled in lines like ants, or blood, bringing computed information to hubs within the Cube.

"Found you, my little sweet horrors," Bill cackled. He swooped down on one of the brains and touched it with blue flames, corrupting it.

More defense brains appeared and even the knight followed. Bill squinted his eye at it; the knight was following further in than he expected. Was it because it could sense his overwhelming, suppressed power? Bill just needed to cause enough ruckus to make a good get away with what he needed. He shoved the corrupted, now blue brain into the long line others, sending them flying like bowling pins. He even added the sound effect to humor himself.

The antibody brains swooped in on their companions and in the ensuing chaos, Bill slipped away with another brain tucked under his arm.

"You will be my little guide in here, brainy," Bill said happily. "Oh, I'm betting you are wondering how I know about you. It's quite simple, much like the dues ex bibliotexta in Atlantis, there are those who have been privileged to see a little bit of the Cube and have written about it. Isn't that just so convenient!?"

Once more Bill used his power to influence a brain and then commanded it, "You will take me to a port where I can access the information hidden in this brain!"

The brain happily zoomed along and Bill followed it. He decided to add some extra chaos to the situation to distract the defenses, and started sending stairways crashing in the wrong direction, and doors closing and opening like fluttering wings. As more brains came along, the twisting insides of the Cube came together to form a massive, geometrically impossible snake to slithers through the passageways looking for Bill.

You think that it would have a better inside defense system," Bill commented. "But I think pride is something that not even logic can overcome, right brainy?"

The brain brought him to a mold in a hallway, made just for brains. There were lots of similar molds all over the walls. This was where the brains deposited the information they were done processing and retrieved more data to compute. Whatever a brain couldn't handle was processed as best as could be, and then shared with other brains through the molds in order to figure out any conundrum. It was a true hive mind, not be confused with a high mind.

Bill seized the corrupted brain and rammed it into the mold. By touching the brain, he could see the information it had access to. He knew not to take the exact location to the Quill of Inspiration, so he sought out a creative mind that had made a silly map to figure out its location. He greedily took it and downloaded it into his own mind. He then projected the image of the map from his eye on the wall.

"Excellent! That's one item off the shopping list," he laughed. "Now for the rest!

He quickly located a way of downloading a shield to protect his mind. Ford had been silly and had gotten a metal plate imbedded in his skull. Wonderfully painful, but exceptionally crude. Thhis way was better. He had tried the same with Dipper, but lacked the computer power necessary to do so in an instant. However, Bill was learning more and more how metal could be very effective in certain circumstances. By keeping his eye on Huon, he had observed that great powers lay in metals.

Once he had his shield against Darkstalker, he did some modifications. The dragon had already poked around in his thoughts a little bit, and he wanted to make sure that only certain thoughts made it to the dragon, so he wasn't tipped off about anything strange. Bill was also pleased to see that this shield should protect him from mental Allomancy that Huon possessed.

"Another item down! What a treasure trove of information and wealth this Cube is!"

Finally, he came to what he wanted, how to kill Aizen and the Tscheapwhetzar. Here, he was a little more disappointed. Aizen was basically a god, and it would take god powers to kill him. Bill's own powers at max would have been equal to Aizen's, but he grudgingly had to admit that Aizen was smarter and quicker than him. He couldn't beat the Soul reaper in a fair fight. He needed the Quill.

As for the Tscheapwhetzar, killing an old member of the Accursed was similar in that you had to rival their powers, and then their bodies were human. Once you cracked the barrier of magic, their soft, fleshy bodies were as easy to snap as a twig's! However, this last Tscheapwhetzar, the World Eater, he had passed beyond simple boundaries long ago. Killing him would require at least the trauma of a thousand fatal attacks all at once, not just one massive, killing blow. A thousand of them!

Unless… Unless Bill had access to Accursed power, too! The power of the devil himself, made incarnate in the minds and imaginations of men and women. He had given them this power thousands of years ago! This was something new. It appeared possible to take that kind of power. In fact, there was certain pattern, a kind of process to it! The Cube was only beginning to realize this… But why?

Bill felt a chill and managed to duck just in time. A Shardblade swung into his possessed brain, destroying it. Had that Blade connected with him, it would have severed his demon body. That was the miraculous power of the Shardblades, the ability to destroy souls. Bill flung himself backwards and soared on out. The giant snake blocked him at the side!

Trapped between hammer and anvil, Bill considered his options. The knight did not speak to him, but instead flew right for him. It was then that Bill noticed his moment to survive the day. Right before the knight's Blade collided with him, Bill flattened himself along the floor. The knight of magical, killing light soared over him and slammed into the snake's mouth. There was a giant explosion, which threw Bill the other way down the hall.

He spun and finally managed to right himself. Looking back, he saw that the knight was gone, as was the head and significant portion of the snake's body. Bill laughed and flew away, towards the outer side of the Cube. More brains pursued him as he went, but he outstripped them all. There was more that he could have pulled out, but he had what he needed for the moment. The map would satiate his comrades, and the information he now had he could put to use later.

Everything is coming together," Bill told himself, confidently. "Now, to decipher the map and get the Quill before Aizen does!"


	12. Part 2:4 - O Dragon Mine

Darkstalker was bored.

Wasn't that supposed to be impossible when he was in another universe altogether, being chased by world-consuming monsters, and racing against a godly traitor, all to find a weapon of unspeakable power!? While seeing sights he had never before imagined? And yet he was discontent and bored.

The fact was this, he was missing Clearsight. And ever since his encounter with Moonwatcher and the other dragonets, he found himself missing Fathom even more. Incredible. The friend who he had believed for uncounted years had betrayed him turned out to have a purer soul than he. That had humbled him and had changed his perspective of Fathom just enough to begin missing him. He needed his friends at his side.

Darkstalker discovered that he hated so much being alone. Even when he was in the cave under Jade Mountain, he had at least Moonwatcher to speak with. And there were the other dragons he lived through as he read their minds. The Tumblrverse was too alien for him. Though the hadium enriched Atium spike in his ear enhanced his mind reading abilities and allowed him to speak with all manner of races and things, he felt he didn't belong.

 _Can I belong in any world that doesn't have Clearsight in it?_

He had discovered that sad conclusion right before those blasted dragonets had defeated him and tried to take away all of his powers. He would never have Clearsight in that future. But now, ever since the Tscheapwhetzar had torn away part of his soul and created a new him, Darkstalker had been seeing a vision. A vision of Clearisght. A vision of him weeping. The Tscheapwhetzar had promised him that if he helped out with a mission and swore a contract with him, he would be given the chance to see Clearsight once more.

It wasn't much, but that was enough to keep him going. Even if the vision didn't look like a happy one, at least for one blissful moment, he could be with her again. Darkstalker's heart and soul ached at the possibility. How could one's soulmate cause so much anguish!? That was love for you…

 _Clearsight, the sights of this fantastic place are totally dull and meaningless if I can't share them with you. Sure, you would see them with different eyes than me, but that was one of the thousand things that made you so alluring and wonderful! I want to share this place with you! I want to share my life with you! Why can't you be at my side, ruling? We could have our dragonets… We could have everything._

 _And everything doesn't have to be just the throne. It could be even more than the throne! There's this whole universe to explore! You told me that you always wanted to go exploring, so this would be the perfect opportunity! And we don't even have to conquer it, either. There is already enough war here for that, and besides, ruling a bunch of small humanoid things wouldn't be that fun, I think._

 _But you could see sights that might even surprise you and your visions! You would experience something fresh! Wouldn't that be great? And I could give that to you! It would be the greatest gift I could give besides my love, Clearsight. If I wasn't enough then, then let the life that I can give you be it. Our dragonets, a happy home, unending fun and adventures._

True, seizing the Night Wing throne had not been the most fun thing to do, and ruling from it had been a pain. He had only foreseen ever more troubles ahead of him then. But with so much possibility sprawling out before him, how could he and Clearsight not find happiness in it all!? At least he would have her.

His thoughts then began wandering over to Fathom. _Fathom, my friend, I don't know if I could full apologize for what I did to you. For one, some of things might be a little too hard to explain away. For another, you did trap me under a mountain. I think for another is that we never saw eye to eye. However, you were a good friend, and I really did care about you. If only you knew the small spells I casted so that I could always be there for you when you needed me!_

 _Ha! If you could see me now, needing you…_

 _It would be nice to have you here, and see you get giddy and smile at all of the impossible things here. We could stay up late and talk about them. We could find seas that would have rivaled your home kingdom! We could have found a way to let you use your magic and not fear for your soul, much like how I have Stormlight and Breath to sustain my powers. We could experiment and study it together! You could become the wizard you were always meant to be!_

 _Darkstalker smiled to himself at that thought. What a trio they would have made! Himself, Clearsight, and Fathom. With their powers combined, they could have made an empire of peace for all dragon kind that would have lasted for millennia! They could spend forever seeing new worlds, learning about them, bringing back treasures and knowledge that would enrich their subjects! They would watch their families grow, fall in love, have their own dragonets, and so on. A dream that was real!_

Yes, that possibility was long gone… But at least he could still dream.

 _Moon, I wish I could share with you now what I see here. You would love the adventures here! That is what made you so much like Clearsight. Also the fact that you always knew just how to nag me. Haha! Well, I see now that that was needed. I needed you to keep me balanced. With you and Qibli together, you could have always helped steered me aright._

He then remembered what Qibli had said about not needing other dragons to tell him what to do, in order to do the right thing. Well, wasn't that what he was doing right now? Wasn't he doing enough working with complete strangers to stop some madman from getting his clutches on the Quill of Inspiration, the legendary weapon of the Calamus of Canon?

That then brought his mind to the task at hand, and the real reason why he felt so bored at the moment: here he was before a majestic, ever shifting cube of colors that held impossible amounts of information, and he wasn't allowed in! He was sitting atop a space craft But, he was already bored with the cargo hull, which was the only place he could ft. Separated from the others, except by reading their thoughts. No one trusted him, or each other, except for Juan and Revolver. But Darkstalker knew the dark secret there. That was a nice little weapon he could later, a bargaining chip to someday, at the right moment, make Juan do what he wanted! Or even Revolver!

However, that day was not today. And so Darkstalker lay out in, in breathable space, and was bored. What a waste of perfectly good, super powerful, amazing dragon! Instead, it was the treacherous Bill Cipher who was allowed to go and peruse through the mind of that massive cube.

Darkstalker had watched Bil make his way into the monolith by creating a door, get chased by a wave of light, and then it was all gone. Darkstalker had considered enchanting a piece of glass or something to keep an eye on Bill, but when he checked his Stormlight, he saw that he was getting a little low. And if all went well, they would be racing Aizen for the Quill the moment Bill returned. He grudgingly admitted that he would need as much Stormlight and Breath as possible for fighting the Soul Reaper. After seeing what he had done at the elven tree, Darkstalker knew he couldn't take any chances with him. To underestimate Aizen was to invite a swift death.

"What has you so troubled, O Brother Ours," a voice whispered behind Darkstalker.

He whipped his head about, almost pulling a muscle, and saw a tear in space being opened up behind him. Through the hole came two heads, like misshapen dragons, made of light that was almost darkness, but held blinding properties right along its edges. It was beautiful, frightening, and wrong all at once. Darkstalker didn't speak for a moment, and the creatures spoke again.

"Mighty Darkstalker, King of the Night Wings, we have come searching you out," one voice spoke, silky soft, and almost a whisper. It took Darkstalker a moment to realize that voice was speaking inside his head. "Dragons must look out for one another in these troublesome times, O Watcher of Worlds Ours."

"Get out of there," he rumbled, his hackles rising.

"No, we have come to speak with you directly," the second voice said, like talons striking against stone. "We see your mission. A race against time and powerful enemies to lay hold on a great weapon that could possibly turn the tides of this war. It is nothing more than a red herring to the powers that direct this great work, O Brother Ours. Do not pay it any heed, but focus on the power that could be yours. The power that is indeed capable of changing everything."

"Yessss. Stormlight is a power of the spiritual realm, held within the Cosmere," the first voice hissed, almost seductively. "That realm is filled with infinite power, sure, and it is used to great effect on worlds like Roshar, and when in your talons, you wield it like an artist wields a paint brush, chisel, or pen before the story. But even all that is nothing compared with the power we come offering you, O Dragon Mine."

"Why do you care about my quest," Darkstalker asked carefully. "You say it is a red herring, but from where I stand, it could change everything about any world. It is the power I can use to bring Clearsight back. I might even be able to counter my vision, and erase her crying. We can be happy! So why come to me and say that it is a distraction? Who are you?"

"We are the speakers of the Deep, O Listener Ours," they spoke together. "We speak to you as a fellow dragon, and as one with the potential to wield unimaginable power. You are one whose ambitions and dreams align with ours. The powers we offer you are those of the Deep. Powers that have changed worlds and, even greater yet, have changed destinies!"

The second voice spoke apart again and explained, "The war that you have been conscripted into, Darkstalker, is a war between three entities of darkness, but all cut from same cloth. They will consume each other and everything that they have touched. They are destroyers, no matter what their names or creeds might have you believe. But we are emissaries of the Depp, a power that seeks to transform everything into a perfect shape, not destroy it. All will be made perfect through the Deepness. O Brother Ours, we do not desire to lose you to this Darkness that would devour us! All of us! Instead, we desire to empower you with the Deepness to combat it."

"Why me," Darkstalker asked, narrowing his eyes. He tried reading their minds and all he could see were swirls of the same black light and substance. He had gotten over how scary it was quickly, and now he saw deception and even greater darkness in them. "Other than my powers, what makes me so special?"

 _Ah, I get it now. The Tscheapwhetzar. He once told me that his name meant collector and corrupter in an ancient language. In an essence that is what he did to me. I am positive that with his power and position in this war, he is one of three they are talking about. The Guardians would definitely fit the bill, as they are also Accursed, like the Tscheapwhetzar. But how does the King of Abominations fit into all of this then?_

 _But it is then the only logical conclusion! They want me on their side beside I can get close to the Tscheapwhetzar. They want to grant me powers to become an assassin for them!_

The dragon appeared to have smug looks on their faces. He could tell that they knew he was figuring it out. And they thought that he was greedy enough to simply accept their terms because they offered him great power! Please, e would not be another one's puppet, and all for power, when such great might was already in his claws, and he was one chase and fight away from more than he ever thought believable!

He wasn't falling for their temptation.

"Leave. Me. Be," Darkstalker said firmly. "I will not be a pawn in your war!"

"Like you already are to the Tscheapwhetzar?"

Darkstalker shook his head. "I am my own dragon! I will break free on my own, and carve out my future with blood if I must, but I will do it myself! I will not be held captive to the whims of creatures I do not know and who I can plainly see I should never trust! Be gone! Or I will make you." He growled at them.

The creatures eyed one another and then withdrew, but their voices still whispered to him. "You will always be able to contact us. We are the only ones that can offer you what you seek and desire above all. Power. Come to us before the Consummate Battle of the Realms, before all dragons are forced to kneel before a long dead king. That is the only way to be free, O Brother Ours."

The hole sealed up, and there was small explosion behind him. Darkstalker turned away to see Bill zipping away from the Cube, pursued by strands of light. But the little triangular demon out stripped them and sped into the space ship. Before entering, Bill called out for him to get inside. Darkstalker sighed. The exchange with those strange being had left him oddly drained.

He flew lazily back into the cargo hold and patched in through the intercom. He made a routine jab at the minds of his compatriots, and then discovered with shock that Bill's mind was more crisp than before. Certain thoughts and sensations came through clearer than before. That was odd. Bill's mind had always been akin to Winter's or Ember's, almost elemental and very hard to endure. But now… This was surgical.

What did you do in there, Bill?

"Well, I couldn't get an exact location, but many minds worked hard to compile a very accurate map to the Quill of Inspiration," Bill announced dramatically. "With this, I will be able to lead us there!"

Through Juan's eyes, Darkstalker saw Bill project a map through his eye onto the wall.

"Great," Juan said relieved. "With any luck, we will beat Aizen there, and then we will have completed our mission.:

"Then what are we waiting for? Get moving you flesh sacks! We have a Quill to recover!"

Darkstalker used a puff of Stormlight and a thought to activate the intercom. "I agree with Bill, we need to get going right now."

And then I'll have the Quill in my possession, and I will be one step closer to seeing Clearsight again!

"Don't worry buddy," Deadpool suddenly spoke up. "I won't let anyone in on your little secret."

"What is that," Darkstalker asked, annoyed. The ship turned around and started to speed away.

"That you spoke with the Ahamkara, those weird space dragons back there," Deadpool answered.

"How did you know that!?" He did not like being spied on!

"They weren't the only one they spoke to, my scaly friend. Don't worry, I didn't listen to them. I told them to go and well… Ah, I can't say much more without be silenced by the script. Haha, this dumb script, but it is allowing me an epic return later!"

All Darkstalker could see when he read Deadpool's mind about this script as a bunch of comics and a guy writing at a computer, atop his bed and looking disheveled. He flicked Deadpool's head again, still in his pouch.

"One of these days, I am just going to eat you," he growled.


	13. Part 2:5 - Beaten

Revolver felt very, very uncomfortable. He and the other Vigilantes were taking a raft through a lake of pink liquid and golden moss. Darkstalker swam behind them, drowning out Deadpool. Huon propelled the rest of them forward with a long pole. Strange deep pink and red seaweed came up through the strange water and reached up to a very bright sky, one that was almost blinding. The air was heavy with the scents of hundreds of perfumes, which was especially irritating the dragon. What irritated Revolver were the sounds.

The sounds of so much smut.

The seaweed dropped petals that would quickly grow back. And as these petals fell, they became screens that showed all manner of erotica. There was almost nowhere he could turn where he wouldn't see all kinds of people engaging every kind of sex imaginable.

Bill laughed out loud and described what they were seeing as he pointed out angsty Lance and Keith scenes. Every possible ship conceived under the sun for _My Hero Academia_ to _Twilight_ orgies. You name it, it was here to be found.

"This lake is a repository for all the smut and fan fiction trash that finds its way onto Tumblr," Juan said, looking pale. "It's too overwhelming to be around so much. Usually when someone comes across this stuff on their computer, and they don't want it, they can just exit out."

"But we have to push through it," Revolver muttered. "How can people be so depraved?"

"I just wonder how fans can be disgusting with their sexual fantasies of characters," Juan mumbled.

"I wonder why people would want to let themselves get distracted by such a terrible lie as love? But then again, it serves as a great hormone fulfilling distraction from how terrible their lives really are," Bill cried out happily.

Darkstalker shot the triangle an angry look.

"Sometimes it is good to have two stakes driven through your eyes," Huon said.

"Did Stakes here just make a joke," Bill asked gleefully. "Oh, this is a blessed day! It's also something to see Revolver get so queasy! Hahaha!"

Revolver whipped out a gun and shot three bullets at Bill. The demon dodged them all easily and the shots shook more petals loose. They turned into even kore screens that surrounded the raft. Darkstalker tried to bat them away, but his wings and tail passed through them all, doing nothing to disrupt the videos and images.

The gun slinger saw one screen that looked okay. It was of a spiky, red haired teen using his phone to send sweet messages to a pink, bug looking girl with horns. It was nice. It was tame. And so he focused on it to avoid having to look at the others and to try and block out Bill's filthy words and commentary. He then saw the teen in the screen get up and sneak out of his room and down a hallway, some stairs, and meet up with the strangely attractive girl. They then proceeded to have very wet sex in the bushes outside.

"Is nothing sacred," Revolver roared in frustration. "Juan, the people from your world are disgusting! Is there no dignity among the human race anymore! Some things are best left private. Also, why would anyone get so invested in others as to make up stories as raunchy as these, and shame everyone involved?"

Juan blushed a little and answered slowly, "I think that some people look to these stories and these people as a way of escaping their own lives. They become so invested at times, that they want the people they read about or see to be happy, and they think that the best way for that to happen is often for them to be in a relationship. So many people think that love will fix everything."

Bill sang out as he floated by, "It only makes everything worse!"

"But when they see that these characters don't get together, er, I mean people," Juan hastily amended. "They then come up with other stories. Fan fiction we call them, where they place the people together in alternate stories in which they do get together and a relationship works out."

"And the rampant sex," Revolver demanded.

"They are probably playing out a sexual fantasy that they really want for themselves," Juan said sheepishly.

It then occurred to Revolver, as he looked at his young friend, that Juan had possibly been involved in such fan fictions before. That would explain both his knowledge and his reaction to the question. The gunman didn't like the thought, but since everyone else in the group was cruel to the poor kid, he decided to cut the conversation short.

 _But we_ will _have to discuss the unhealthy attitude of entertaining these fetishes_ , Ricardo grumbled to himself.

He tried to gauge the distance they had come. They had elected to leave the Villains' Revenge back at the shores of the lake, because scans had shown that these strands of lust colored seaweed would gunk up the ship. There was even the possibility of them pulling them ship into the water and breaking it. It was decision that only lengthened revolver's torture in this place.

"Triangle, how much further into this hell must we go?"

Bill mused for a second, projected the map once more onto the raft and then said, "Not much further. These pink, body, sex fluids all gush from somewhere right?"

"What!?" Darkstalker suddenly looked like he was going to hurl. "I'm going to fly. And find a storm somewhere to wash off in. I… I never thought I'd feel so _dirty_. So tainted!"

"Please don't," Juan asked quickly. "That'll just send down more petals!"

Bill lost himself laughing at the dragon, but when he recovered a little he managed to say, "Look, we're almost there! Once we have the Quill, we can clean you up and even get rid of this place! Tough it out Darky!"

Darkstalker rumbled in his throat and then snapped, "Have you seen a petal that shows a young dragon, like me? I must know."

"If I look at too many more of these, I'll hurl," Revolver muttered.

"Then get it over with," Huon snapped in his grinding voice. "And stop your complaining!"

"How about I see if you can dodge bullets as well as Bill," Revolver threatened.

"How would you like to get blasted into those juices," Huon sneered. "You have enough metal on you to send you flying all the way back to the ship!"

"Guys, please stop! We are so close! We can't give into fighting each other now!" Juan stepped in between the Steel Inquisitor and the gun slinger. Revolver thought the boy both brave and foolish for the. He turned to Darkstalker and asked, "Why do you ask of we have seen any dragon porn floating around in here?"

The dragon got as close to blushing as a dragon could possibly get and replied hotly, "I am not looking for some filthy images to moon over like you have in the past Reader! Unlike you, I have some dignity and though I have tried a claw at match making, I didn't fantasize to the point of obsession and then write crass literature about it!"

"No, you were too busy obsessing over your precious Clearsight," Bill giggled.

Darkstalker took a snap at him before looking back at Juan. "I want to see how someone from the outside might see us working out. One way or the other, I intend on seeing her again, and this time, it will be _perfect_. But any extra help can't hurt on my way getting there."

"Then don't look for any help here, Scales," Revolver said sourly. "All that is here is filth from the deep dredges of the human mind. It is a corrupt form of love that poisons true passion and expectations, feeding a dark fantasy that will only sink the viewer further into the same filth you are swimming in."

"Well aren't you Mr. Comforting," the dragon snorted.

"I don't see what you guys are all complaining about? This kind of depravity is genius! It's true art," Bill sang, cartwheeling through the air.

"Then what about those images of you and Dipper," Juan pointed out.

"Oh, that stuff is great, because it lengthens my list of people to torture to death in the future! Me and that meat suit making out? As if! But, they do capture the sexier side of me, I must say," Bill said, blowing a kiss towards the falling art with his eye.

Revolver really wanted to hurl after he saw what Juan and Bill were referring to. He turned once more ahead and tried to focus on their destination. Thankfully, he could make out something very important in the distance. A waterfall.

Bill's stolen map had eventually revealed to them through a series of clues and twist and turns that the Quill of Inspiration had been hidden away in pocket dimension borrowed from Final Fantasy. It was an "optional boss," according to Bill, that was hidden behind the waterfall. The Calamus of Canon would have inspired people to do terrible things with other people stories, much like what they saw around them in this repository of fan fiction smut. So the Qill in a way was drawn here, but it was also a place where others would never look for it.

The ancient powers, keepers, whoever had done it had the foresight to hide the Quill in a place so close to writer's desires that they would never have dug deep enough in a place so familiar to find it. Basically, the Quill was hidden in plain sight, thought with the hidden waterfall and the special boss guarding the Quill, there was an extra measure of protection.

The Vigilantes had planned to check it out, using Huon, Bill, and Darkstalker to probe the boos and learn what they could about its weaknesses. From there they could devise a plan to take it down and take the Quill. They hoped that they were ahead of Aizen. So far, there was no sign of the treacherous Soul Reaper, though Revolver felt an uneasy scratch. A warning that danger was not far off. They also had to worry about the Abominations and Shadows still chasing them. And really, they were just sidestepping the issue of the Tscheapwhetzar.

What if he was tracking them more closely than they thought? How would he react to any double crossing? Could their alliance hold out long enough for all of them to secure the Quill. Revolver did not trust the others. He and Juan had a plan to spirit the Calamus of Canon away from the others once they had retrieved it, and then leave the other Vigilantes to deal with the Tscheapwhetzar. But even that was a problematic plan. It was, however, the best thing Revolver had to work with.

Eventually they arrived at the waterfall, and the trio of villains made their way through the waterfall. Revolver shivered at the thought of getting splashed with the… Well, he definitely needed to not think about that! He checked his guns and ammunition. He hated that he was running low on bullets already. The problem was that the Tscheapwhetzar had not exactly equipped any of them for a drawn out battle, and they had already been in two separate major fights, a brawl, and then he had taken pot shots at his pains for companions.

The waterfall suddenly blew apart, spraying stone and filth everywhere and shaking loose more screens. Revolver and Juan barely recovered in time to hear Bill shout.

"What have you done here, Aizen!?"

 _No, it cannot be…_

There in the hole where the waterfall should have been was the half burnt form of a giant, slumped under the foot of Aizen. He held clearly in his hand a shape, golden quill with a black tip that seemed to suck in light and life. Revolver couldn't tell exactly how he knew that, but after years of fighting demons, angels, monsters, and magic, he had learned to trust his instincts on this matter. In his other hand was his zanpaktou, which flashed.

 _No! This isn't right!_

Bill was tall, and glowing a dee red. Darkstalker was ablaze with light and the color around him became a strong rainbow. Bill was emanating a kind of light that the dragon consumed and turned into power. The rocks were quivering and the pink waters churned violently. Huon stood tall and calm through it all.

"Aizen! How did you beat us here!?" Bill was going unhinged.

"Simple, really. I had a head start and good information from the elves," Aizen replied calmly. "Getting here was a matter of quick thinking and quicker footwork. I am impressed that you got here so quickly, though. You have all recovered faster from your ordeal than I had imagined. Maybe I should take the precautions of killing you all now."

The Soul Reaper smiled confidently and then said, "But I planned for such an event as being followed. I was going to alert the Shadows through the method in which I had summoned them to the elves, and I was going to leave a trap behind for them, as I made my escape. But with you being here, I can accomplish so much more."

With his words, the sky was torn apart and an eclipsing monster of darkness, like what they had seen when they first entered the Tumblrverse, appeared above. Immediately, Shadows rained down towards them, and their ship.

"Fear not, my once compatriots," Aizen called. "I will not use the Quill to destroy you now. I desire to experiment with it first. My first experiment is a simple one though."

He wrote in the air, using a flowing script that Revolver did not understand. He didn't care to understand, though, and shot at Aizen. The shot went wild. Instantly, he knew what had happened. From his research of Aizen, he knew that he had hypnotic powers when he used his sword. Revolver had seen it flash, and now he could not trust any of his senses!

"Might I suggest that you all fight for your lives," Aizen said calmly as a portal opened behind him and he stepped through it.

"Oh no, not again!" Bill screamed, reaching out a horde of black hands for the Soul Reaper.

Aizen disappeared through the portal, and a large explosion went off. It was going to consume all of them. It was meant to be big! It was meant to destroy all the evidence that Aizen had been there and that the Quill had once resided in this place. Revolver in that moment knew this was the trap the traitor had contemplated.

However, they did not die then. Darkstalker roared and got on his hind legs. He waved his front claws, as though conducting, and he spoke quickly. The explosion condensed before him and then shot up at the Shadows and towards the hulking figure that brought an early night to this lake. The redirected explosion illuminated the veiled sky, burning up thousands of descending Shadows. It hit the monster and blew a hole right through it.

Revolver was in awe of what he had just witnessed happened. That explosion was meant to wipe us out! He managed to deflect it! And it punctured that celestial beast! Just how powerful did Aizen make that bomb? And just how powerful is that dragon?

But Darkstalker then looked drained, and began to slump. Huon and rushed to Darkstalker and spoke to him words that Revolver did not hear. The dragon looked almost compelled to get up and start moving towards them. Bill shrank in size and also looked weary. Darkstalker scooped Juan and Ricardo in his claws, as Huon and Bill jumped onto his back. He flew them towards the _Villains' Revenge_.

Revolver unleashed as many bullets as he could load at the Shadows still chasing them. Many of them fell. Huon encouraged Darkstalker to keep going, and Revolver also felt a surge of confidence that he hadn't before and drive to keep fighting. He glanced at the Steel Inquisitor and remembered what he had read about the magics of _Mistborn_. Huon was influencing his emotions!

Still, Revolver knew that they had been beaten by Aizen once again! And just like last time they were left fleeing for their lives, trying to escape overwhelming odds. Miraculously, Darkstalker made it back to the ship. As they entered the cargo hold, Juan went for the intercom and engaged the ship's defenses. Smartly, they had asked the junkyard workers to equip it with an inner and out security system.

Canons and lasers roared and buzzed into life as they made their way to the cockpit. Darkstalker now looked entirely drained and slummed to the ground, dirty with human fluid s and mud. Revolver sprinted behind Huon, who made it to the cockpit and engaged the engines. Soon, they were taking off and taking heavy fire from the Shadows.

"Punch the hyper drive and get us out of here," Juan wheezed.

"We might slam into a place sitting out there," Huon cautioned.

"No! Use the coordinates of a political conversation thread," Ricardo urged. "They'll get lost for a moment in there if they follow us, and it'll give us time to make a proper jump somewhere else."

"We need to follow Aizen," Bill raged taking up the rear. "I saw where he disappeared off to, it should be easy for us to follow."

"No," Revolver shouted. "We are not prepared for fighting a creature of his strength! And he now has the Quill! We need to regroup!"

"He'll use the Quill against us if we don't," Bill warned.

"That's a chance we'll have to take," Huon admitted grudgingly. "We need a plan to take him down. We couldn't have defeated him then anyway." The ship rocked with a hit. "He knows our abilities as well as we know his, and we are not enough right now to defeat him. We must strategize and figure out how to use his own strengths and knowledge as a weakness! Reader, punch in those coordinates."

Revolver sighed with relief as the ship lurched further into the Tumblrverse and further away from immediate danger. Another disgraceful defeat.


	14. Interlude 2

Interlude 2

Aizen –

The Soul Reaper walked out of the rift he had made with the Quill and looked up at an ancient, large door. He had come to a world based on the game Talisman, and he now stood before the threshold to the Inner World. This was a point in the game where you had to be ready to bleed to get to the crown of power at the center. Aizen would not bleed as he took this Inner World for himself.

He selected this place because of its great security and defenses. It was a position of power from which he could experiment with the Calamus of Canon and make ready his plans. He was not going to be like the other vulgar Vigilantes and use this Quill to get his every desire. That was the weak man's way out. He was not weak.

The Hogyoku had been a failure when he fought Ichigo, but he was certain now that that was a fluke. He was just missing one important detail. He would single it out and rewrite his god making device so that it would not fail him. On top of that, he would use the Quill to craft the wards needed to protect himself from the Vigilantes when they came for him, as well as the Accursed who warred across the Realms. He was not so soulish as to just dismiss them.

From what he had gleaned from the elves, this Quill of Inspiration was merely a tool to Abominations on their way to something much greater. They would still come for him, and he would be ready for them.

Incredibly, it brought a smile to his lips to realize that he finally had a good load of challenging work before him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ezekiel –

The Abomination feasted on the smut reeds, as the seaweed was called, and used their stories he consumed to empower him. He shifted his form to something akin to the Taken King, with a crown like head and tattered wings taking him over the hole the Vigilantes had blown into his Dreadnaught. It was an incredible feat of strength. He had read of something similar in a book before, and was still impressed to see it here.

 _This is frustrating, he thought. Not only did that fool Tscheapwhetzar manage to get together a capable bunch of thieves, one of them even made off with the Quill! I knew it was going to be a trap when I received the information from Aizen, but I was not expecting this, nor his speed. I had hoped his hubris would lead him to facing me._

 _Now, I must track him once again!_

It was maddening. He was even more upset a message came to him through the hum of the ship. Someone was there to see him. He wondered which of his fellow Abominations had come to try and steal his glory, or to berate him. He melded with the ship and sped quickly to the deck in the Dreadnaught's head. There, he was surprised to see a young man dressed very peculiarly. He looked to be no older than sixteen, and was in black wizard robes with bands of gold and red feathers strapped to his arms and across his chest. A beaked mask was clutched in his hands. It looked Aztec in design.

"And what pit did you call from that made you think you could summon me on my own ship," Ezekiel demanded.

The boy looked to him and plastered a confident look on his face that Ezekiel immediately wanted to tear off. "My name is Priest. I am the high priest of the King's Cult. I am a being made from the minds of brilliant writers and the powers of an Abomination."

True. He did reek of one of Ezekiel's kin. Still he snarled, "And how does this give you authority over me!?"

He had never heard of this cult before, and the boy looked like an upstart.

"I do not have authority over you yet," the boy admitted, somewhat annoyed. "But we are equals. I am come from the future. I have fought and will fight again at the Towers of Time."

Ezekiel stopped in his movement to strangle the kid when he heard those words. How could this Priest know that they were planning to attack the fabled towers that controlled the flows and laws of time throughout the Realms? Was he really connected with the King?

"Good. I would prefer if we didn't fight," Priest said quickly, taking a cautionary step away from Ezekiel. "You and I will need to work together if we are to win. See, things go badly for us at the Towers. And that is because we are unprepared for the ferocity that the Guardians and the Tscheapwhetzar bring with them. We _need_ the Quill of Inspiration. That is what will turn the tides!

"I possess knowledge from the future that will greatly benefit you in your hunt. Together, you and I can claim great glory and take our rightful places at the King's right hand. What say you, Ezekiel? Shall we partners," Priest asked, proffering his hand.

The Abomination seized his hand pulled him close. Blowing putrid breath into the kid's face, he said, "If we are going to work together, then you are going to tell me everything. Everything! And if any of it does not smell right, I will kill you, equal or no."

Remarkably, Priest grinned and answered, "Then we have ourselves a deal. Let's get started."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Tscheapwhetzar and a Guardian –

They looked out on the great Cube, torn in half, and still held by the gigantic claws that had done it. The claws themselves were severed from the Dreadnaught they had once belonged to. Light and knowledge bled from the cube and mixed the dissipating darkness from the claws, creating a mist like star dust. The great mind of the Tumblrverse was gone. The Tscheapwhetzar and Guardian had made it on to the scene too late, but they had delivered their own crushing blows to the Abominations.

Still, it wasn't enough, as the fiends continued to spread through the nebula.

The Tscheapwhetzar spoke up and said, "You know, if we were friends, or even close colleagues, we'd probably be chatting about stupid stuff right now, while checking out this gruesome scene. Het, Charlie, did you see that game last night? Sure did, Bill Joe Thorthrop III; I was on the edge of my seat! Super close!

"Yeah! They're gonna take the championship!

"I had tickets until my wife and I decided to get a divorce. She's getting the tickets and dog, while I get the kids.

"That's rough buddy. But you know, my wife's cousin's old roommate's older sister is single, and she has a lovely personality. I could set you two up for a date?

"Then let me buy you a drink after work and we can chat deets!"

The Guardian growled, "How can you make light of something like this!?"

"I eat worlds and have destroyed entire systems to get what I wanted in the past," the Tscheapwhetzar shrugged. "I am used to carnage and pointless destruction. Obliteration with a cause is much more fascinating, and while I shoot the breeze with the fake you, my friend, I am going through a dozen different scenarios in my mind."

"Oh? Care to enlighten me," the Guardian asked, annoyed.

"First of all, can you feel the trace presence of _Destiny_ 's Deepness," the tattered cloaked man asked. "It definitely feels like the worm gods. I wonder what they were doing here. But they would never work with the Abominations, at least directly. Both would be wanting to conquer the other. Plus, the Darkness doesn't play with others. However, that is all a distraction."

"Then why even bring it up!?"

The Tscheapwhetzar held up a finger and silenced the other man from speaking further. "Think about it. In this war, each battle is meant to have importance. Each bow is a potentially crippling one. However, when you are on the field of combat, you only deal a crippling blow when you want to slow your enemy down. A fatal stroke is preferred, because you then don't have to fear your foe as you push forward. In the Vietnam War, the Viet Cong fought to cripple American soldiers, rather than outright killing them. Demoralization and slowing down the war effort was the only way they could prepare themselves to deliver the final blow. In an essence, the Vietnam War was a war of distractions.

"So, if we apply that logic here, then maybe, just like the visit of the Hive's worm gods, even this massive attack was just a distraction," the Tscheapwhetzar almost whispered. "Entire worlds raided. Ancient tombs broken open. Trophies taken without so much as a drop of blood spilled. Schemes within schemes. I think it is all a cover."

The Guardian was silent for a moment, contemplating his ally's words behind a shut visor on his gleaming, white armor. "Then what are the Abomination s even after?"

The Tscheapwhetzar narrowed his eyes at the battlefield and said, "I am no longer sure, myself."

They were silent for a while yet, and then the Tscheapwhetzar stated, "I'm famished! I could use a good lunch right about now. Also, friend, I would like to retain the corpses of the next Abominations we kill. I really want to see what makes them tick."

The Guardian saw a pocket watch appear in the other man's hands as he said this, and then said, "I am sure we can arrange an agreement with the rest of the Council. Though it will probably require you removing your forces from a few worlds."

Grimacing, the Tscheapwhetzar said, "And you guys wonder I don't come to your group picnics. You should have just turned a blind eye to me. But fine, if it means that I don't have anyone breathing down my neck and grading my cutting skills, then I'll do it."

He gave the grizzly sight of the Cube one last look and blessed his lucky stars that the Guardian had not gotten a whiff of the villains he under his Contract, who had been this way. He needed them back with that Quill yesterday!


	15. Part 3:1 - Strategizing to Kill a God

The Villains' Revenge hovered over above a swirling mass of protestors. The world within the nebula that they had decided to hide out on while figuring out their next move was a planet in a state of constant political protest. When Juan looked out he saw the people now carried signs that derided the use of spaceships.

"Get off your high horse!"

"Save the environment! Don't use space fuels!"

"Spaceships are stuff of the 1%!"

"Trump wants to own our space!"

"The shape of your space craft offends me!"

It was hilarious and disturbing to realize that people could get riled up about and protest just about anything. Even worse was that all of these claims could be legitimate rallying cries for people. Tumblr was a terrible reminded or just how far some people were willing to go with their feelings and instant reactions. Just like the lake of smut fictions was a terrible reminder of far people could take their fantasies.

Revolver had seen right into him; Juan, reader, enjoyed a good, steamy fan fiction. He had even tried writing some himself and posted them on forums and websites under his Order name. If the Order ever found out… Madame would put him the ground! Bill Cipher's aggravated tone brought him crashing back down to reality, or well, back to the real problem at hand.

"So here we are on a pathetic, dismal world after getting our butts handed to us a second time by Aizen! By now he's well locked away and fortifying his position! He's going to be nearly impossible to roost out!"

"Where is he at," Darkstalker asked. They all sat in the cargo hold, and a bad smell was beginning to come off the dragon. Everyone kept their distance as he asked his question.

Bill used his eye to project the image of a game board. "He's in a world in the nebula based off the game _Talisman_. It is hidden in tricky corner of the Tumblrverse that we can only easily access via a Dungeons and Dragons zone. And that alone is going to be rough to navigate, because everything D&D related pours into there just like the scum Darkstalker has all over him!"

"You can tell he is angry when he says my name right," the dragon laughed.

"At least someone here has good spirits," Juan mumbled.

"Speak up, KID," Bill said, glowing red and getting up close to him.

Juan hated being singled out in this group. He wanted to get back to the Order; he could see even better than before the merits of their creed. He just wanted this quest to be done.

"Thank you Bill for laying that out for us," Juan began.

"Oh! I'm just getting started! Here's the deal, we have to trudge through the D&D world, because if we attempt to fly in, we have to deal with _Star Craft_ in our ship, and we aren't even equipped for that! Plus, getting into the board game will require us to be a particular point in a cliff side, where we can't get the ship through anyway." He summoned an image to prove his point. "And once we are through with that, we have to break into the Inner World, which is a place that already works to weaken any who enter. Then there's any extra traps Aizen will have added. On top of that, there is a crown Aizen will have access to that allows him to magic us to death! Finally, he has the Quill of Inspiration! This is why I wanted to chase him immediately while he had the portal open!"

"At least you saw where he went," Huon said stoically.

"Huzzah! A consolation prize," Bill replied sourly. "The information only shows us difficult it will be to get him!"

"Then perhaps we call in the Tscheapwhetzar," Revolver suggested.

Juan spun about to his creation. That was not their plan! When had he changed his mind?

"No, we should go to the Order. They will have resources that we can use to get the Quill," Juan insisted.

"We wanted to get the Quill for ourselves because we didn't want to share its power in this war," Huon pointed out.

"Yes, the Quill should belong to those who put in the effort to find it," Darkstalker grimaced. "We have literally done the dirty work and deserve to have it. We who have been mistreated within our own stories. We who have been ripped out and thrown into a world we don't belong, and into a war that is not our own! Reader, this is our redemption, to do it by ourselves, and take the Quill for ourselves!

"And so you understand, human, that is why Aizen's _betrayal_ strikes so deep. We were all in the same situation, but he betrayed us. That is why we must find him and make him pay! Then we will make our stories right!"

Juan saw all the others nod in agreement to the dragon's words. He knew he would never win the point now, and he slumped in his seat. Bill was blackmailing him. Darkstalker was convincing them. And Revolver was abandoning him. The only way he would make it out alive was to play along and in the end double cross them all.

"Okay," Juan finally said. "Then how exactly do we beat Aizen? When Ichigo did it in the manga, he won through a combination of undefinable powers, mixed with a spell that was placed in Aizen before he became god-like, to bind him. The end of the manga doesn't really count, because no one knows how he did that."

Bill threw up a hand and said, "Oh, pick me! Because I know!"

"Of course you do," Revolver spat. "What doesn't the great Bill Cipher know?"

"It doesn't really matter how it was done in the past," Huon said. "What matters is that Aizen is different now. He said he would not use the Quill to destroy us then, but when next we meet, I doubt he'll be lenient."

"No, we can't take him at his word," Bill said. "He always uses a twisted, sophisticated meaning to everything he says. It wasn't the Quill that could have killed us, but the explosion. He would say there was a big difference."

"We also need to consider that we are probably all under his hypnotic spell," revolver spoke up. "I couldn't hit him with my bullets. With that advantage alone hanging over us, he's almost invincible!"

"I cannot be tricked with hallucinations," Huon explained. "Because my eyes see the spiritual nature of all things. That is a truth and reality that Aizen cannot simply melt away with a parlor trick."

"It is quite a parlor trick though," Juan said off handedly.

"Hmm, then that gives me an idea," Darkstalker grinned. "I can enchant items for us to use, to borrow Huon's senses so that Aizen cannot use his hypnotic powers against us. But I have drained a lot of Stormlight and Breath. I need to restock it, somehow."

"So you are finally thinking about your soul," Deadpool coughed from within his pouch.

"You're still alive," the dragon thundered. "Why stay silent until now!?"

"Of course I'm still alive, you idiot! I'm just a head, aren't I? And I swallowed how much of that foul stuff!? Please clean out your bag," the mercenary complained.

"I'll get to it. Believe me, swimming through that stuff hurt me far more than you."

"How does that make any sense!?"

"Getting back to the matter at hand," Bill said. "Darky will fashion those items for us, once we get him a power boost. I like that. But we also need weapons that will allow us to kill Aizen. Things he has never seen before, so that way he cannot count on them. For that, we need to go to the weapon builders' world. But before that, we need cash, some serious cash! And the Order will provide the funds."

Juan sighed. "Look, I have a certain amount of money appropriated to me, but I cannot draw that much. I worry I won't have enough!"

"No, you won't be footing the bill for arming us," Bill said, waving a hand. "We will need your money for where we are going next!"

"And where is that," Huon asked.

"We are going to take the house on a gambling world," Bill said happily. "I have the plan in mind now. Actually, it all works out for us! If we can get enough money stealing from the casinos, then we will get the weapons we need to blaze through D&D and through the Inner World. And one great thing about those RPG worlds that I should have remembered immediately is all the loot you can get! We can buff ourselves to level 100 and beyond! We can fight Aizen as equals, at last!"

"But what about refueling my powers," Darkstalker asked, skeptically. "How will I get more Stormlight?"

"Anything can be betted on and won in the gambling world," Bill explained. "We can get you more magic, and we can even get information, more supplies, and so forth. Wow! This will be FUN!"

"So are we aren't taking the house _Ocean's 11_ style," Juan asked, wanting to be clear on the plan.

"No, I have something far better in mind," Bill said happily. "With the all the magic that we have with us here, we can influence multiple games, and really pull one over on the Grand House. Much like the Cosmic Colosseum, or Blood Sands as some call them, it is a meeting place of all famous casinos and it caters to all stakes!"

Revolver cocked an eyebrow. "You mean we are pulling a job, before coming up with a plan, to attack a world where we will equip ourselves, to finally go after Aizen?"

"Yes. Yes, I do," Bill answered.

Juan found himself laughing. "This is just crazy! But honestly, if we continue to sit around here, the Abominations will find us. If we do nothing, Aizen might pick up camp and move away! Or he may do that before we get there."

"Then all the more reason to be quick about it," Darkstalker said. "I don't like taking time away from our goal, but I agree that we need to be better prepared and stock up on what can help us beat that Soul Reaper. Let's set our course for the Grand House and make our plans on the way there."

"We'll be playing a lot by ear," Huon pointed out.

"Then it's a good thing Darky will make more than just one set of jewelry for us," Bill said. "I've been looking into this place for fun. Its influence even touches the multiverse I'm from, and I've always wanted to bring some real chaos to it!"

Juan knew he didn't want to do this. It felt like too great a detour. They were racing against the clock, and preparing almost willy-nilly to fight a god. Had none of them even read _Mistborn_!? For crying out loud, one of them was even from the story, and he was just going along with it! But if he was going to survive, he had to adapt, play along, and bide his moment of opportunity.


	16. Part 3:2 - Taking the House

The Grand House lived up to its name. It was massive palace, built to look like golden home, that took up half a mountain. Towers and walls spilled from the House and encompassed an entire valley. The valley held race tracks, brothels, show houses, rivers clogged with boats. There were Olympic sized stadiums of various designs, killing fields, high adventure platforms for people doing space jumping, zip lining, repelling, and other activities. Harbors awaited incoming ships on the water and in the skies, while gates opened up to masses of incoming gamblers.

Darkstalker, finally cleaned from all the disgusting human sex juices, sat in the open cargo bay with Bill. He noticed with some trepidation that the numbers leaving were minuscule compare to those entering. This place was built to suck you in and keep you there.

"The different towers connect to other worlds, allowing the high rollers to come and play here," Bill explained. "Much like the Blood Sands, this is an ancient place in the Realms that has only grown with time. It was moved here to the Tumblrverse to avoid being attacked by Star Pirates. Ever since those buccaneers took Four Sword Hold, they have launched raid after raid on placed like this. But unlike Blood Sands, the Grand House cannot guard itself too well except for within. Security is going to be our biggest pain, unless your plan works, Darky."

"It will work. It has worked before," Darkstalker said quietly.

They were all going to drink a blended juice of different berries that Darkstalker had enchanted. He had taken the idea from that moons cursed RainWing who had done him in with his own magic. What an embarrassment! At least it had taught him a few things. When he would be king, have other taste his food. Also, food could be a very good, disposable weapon.

This cocktail weapon they would drink before entering the house had a couple of good punches. Because the Grand House's security could monitor the use of magic on the games, they could not use that, but they could use it on themselves. Blueberries hid the metal on their bodies. (That would be good so Darkstalker didn't have to get rid of the earring that gave him life.) Raspberries allowed them to be telepathically linked. Grapes protected their thoughts and bodies from probes and magical invasions. And the strawberries, they were his personal favorite, because they would allow the Vigilantes to use their powers in the House.

Security was meant to be unbeatable, but according to their hasty research on their way to the Grand House, they discovered that no one had yet brought the dragons from _Wings of Fire_ to gamble. They would not have updated their records and security to deal with the new magic. Darkstalker had given a talisman to Bill to give him a human form and pass off as a Tumblr Bill Cipher.

According to the plan, Bill was going to capture the scene with some crazy antics on the main floor, while Darkstalker would use his status as the NightWing king to garner access to a major, high stakes game and get the magic he needed. Huon would go and get them all some real money in any game of his choice while Juan and Revolver worked the floor at smaller games and kept an eye out for people and security paying close interest in their party. And by working the floor, they could lay the final part of the plan; a contingency plan.

They would all be monitored of course, but what they wanted was Bill to pull the majority of eyes, while Darkstalker and Huon took the house. Bill was also convinced that after they took the house, time would be manipulated to reverse the theft and catch them all. They weren't sure how it would occur, but Darkstalker had used the last of his Stormlight and Breath to make a device for Bill to counteract whatever the House planned: Time Baby's time punch taken to a whole new level.

Once the _Villains' Revenge_ landed on one of the hovering platforms, they all strutted out as though they owned the place. Darkstalker focused on his mental ocean waves to drown out the whirlwind of uninteresting thoughts. But he was also a master at picking up what was important in the storm of thoughts around him. It was what had made him almost impossible to beat before. He picked up on what the platform security were observing and he quickly relayed it to his team. They had to work together to pull this off, even if meant working more closely than he would have usually preferred.

 _They already recognize Bill. It's a good think Huon has the hood up, they don't yet know he's a Steel Inquisitor. They think Juan and Revolver are bodyguards or pilots. They are searching for me in their date base. Their master computer- Ah, yes, they have my profile now._

 _Good work_ , Bill thought. _We just need to be fast._

Swinging his cane and swaggering over, the demon now clothed in flesh said, "We're here to be the biggest high rollers you've had all year! And we aren't going to waste any time, so don't waste our if you know what's good for ya. The Master of the Chaos Dimension and the King of the NightWings are here to take the house!"

The dock workers and guards acted quickly, and from what Darkstalker caught, they activated a teleporter. It was glowing, blue-white orb that grew to accommodate Darkstalker's size. A man in a fine, golden suit ushered the Vigilantes through the portal. As they stepped through, everything flashed white, and they appeared on a balcony overlooking an enormous game room.

"Welcome, most extinguished guests, to the Grand House!" The man bowed with a flourish and gestured to the game room. "I only request that you wait a moment and allow for our security to ensure that you are clean of any illicit materials and weapons. They are not allowed on the game floor. We will also oversee your money to see that there has been no tampering with it. We all want a clean game."

Darkstalker could see that the casino rightly did not trust them, but he also saw in the man's mind that they themselves did not play fair games. The Vigilantes had willingly walked into a prison that sought to nab up everyone who entered it. A self-made prison of vices.

Through their mental link, Darkstalker learned that Huon had activated his metals. Flaring his copper, he concealed his Allomancy and started shifting people' emotions. It would be up to Bill to act on that advantage and capture people's attention as Juan and Revolver laid the traps and Darkstalker went to take the House in one of their biggest, high stakes games. Darkstalker also relayed information he caught from guards and high rollers in the room.

 _Your quick reactions were on point, Huon. They have their own Steel Inquisitors here. Three by the thoughts of it. They are coming with probes right now to check us out_ , Darkstalker informed them.

 _What of your mind reading powers, Darkstalker?_ Juan was getting very sweaty and fidgety. _They are looking up you and Bill to see what they can expect._

 _Huon's powers will help subdue them, and my charm will make them amiable to the suggestion that I am not using my powers_ , Darkstalker smiled.

 _And remember the plan. The higher-ups in the casino will be watching us from afar_ , Bill reminded them. _Which is why I must do what I was always born to do, and be a showman!_

 _I thought you were born to be an interdimensional pain in the_ , Revolver began.

 _That, too. I am diverse_ , Bill responded.

 _And this is why I usually don't have mental conversations with others_ , Darkstalker said. _Too much back and forth and not getting anywhere fast enough. Here come the guards. Juan, stop looking like you are about to vomit!_

 _Easy for you to say_ , Juan thought weakly.

As guards with the magic detecting rods appeared, Darkstalker noted that the Vigilantes' presence was garnering a lot of attention from nearby players. Gossip was already spreading like wildfire. Darkstalker flashed the security personnel a winning grin as they began waving their wands al around them. He could tell from their thoughts that his items were working their magic. He knew that they would be suspicious and allayed those thoughts.

"Sorry for the sudden appearance, but my friend Cipher does like to make a flashy entrance. If we could have done more, we would have, but then we'd be thrown out." He added a laugh for emphasis, and nudged the lead guard playfully with a claw, giving a mental command. "We just want to play though, and try our luck. We've brought some tantalizing treasures of our own to make things interesting for everyone here."

Darkstalker's command took effect and the lead guard told the others, "It's okay. They're clean. I'm sorry, Your Majesty, we'll be conducting scans as you play. We've never had a NightWing of your caliber play here before. Men, they are containing their powers, as we would expect of any well-behaved guests."

The dragon nearly frowned at the patronizing comment, but he forced a jovial laugh and asked them to lead them all out onto the game floor.

"Lead the way, please. I want to go to the highest stakes game you have available," Darkstalker insisted.

Huon instantly slunk away, drawing away three shady figures who had cropped up near the balcony. He instantly read them as Inquisitors, though these wore special cloth masks that would allow them to still see with their enhanced eyes, but cover up their identities a little. Darkstalker and Bill were being trailed by Flayers. Three different kinds for each of them, making six different species of Flayers in total. Darkstalker caught glimpses of Psion Flayer, the ethereal Flayer, and Upside-Down Flayer who trailed him from different sides of the room. He suppressed a shiver; it was legitimately creepy that they were receiving such attention.

It really only made sense. The Grand House did not want people and creatures from throughout the realms with a chance at breaking luck to come here and rob the casino blind. The establishment by now knew of Darkstalker's mind reading abilities, and though Huon's Allomancy and Darkstalker's grin had bought them some time, it would not be enough if they stood around for too long.

The guards passed Darkstalker off to an elderly gentleman in a maroon, frock tailed suit as Bill made his way to a large, neon flashing table. Juan and Revolver made their way out to the slots as quick as they could. They had drained Juan's money reserves for this venture. Most of the cash went with Juan, Revolver, and Huon. Bill insisted he only needed one chip to bring down the house. Darkstalker was betting much more precious commodities.

"My name is Smithens," the elderly man introduced himself with a bow. "Your friends all seem to know where to go. Surely, they are planning on making a splash, as you suggested they might."

The man gave a watery, bubbly chuckle at the notion. Darkstalker found it highly annoying.

Smithens continued, stroking a thin mustache that was barely visible, "Will you be following them? Or is there a direction in which I can point you?"

"Take me to your highest stakes game," Darkstalker ordered, making sure not to crush anyone as we slithered his way through the casino.

"There are a handful of delights and challenges that we offer here at the Grand House that are equally high in stakes and competition," Smithens replied. "You will have to be more specific."

"Anything where what I offer can be met with an equal offer."

Darkstalker had never been one for gambling. Having some foresight made it boring, and he didn't want to think about what would happen when his luck ran out. So, he had never bothered with games of chance as a dragonet. He was feeling out of depth.

"And would these wagers be met by the house, or by other players," Smithens inquired.

Darkstalker answered, "Either will do." _Just hurry it up before I eat you!_ He added to himself. Some of that got across to others, because Bill chuckled at the comment.

 _I'm ready to go whenever you are, big guy_ , Bill informed him.

Smithens was thankfully quick to respond. "There are a few games that would match you tastes and requirements, I believe. However, there is only one of them right now available. We classify those kind of games as God World Games. And we only allow one per day, otherwise, things would get crazy out there!"

Again, he gave his annoying chuckle. Darkstalker rolled his eyes as the guide said, "Please follow me, Your Majesty."

Darkstalker enjoyed the sentiment, but he could read in the man's thoughts that he was also patronizing him. He did not think a dragon would be able to play such a game, or even have the buy in goods necessary to play. Darkstalker felt like flicking the man into the slot machines a level below them.

Smithens led Darkstalker through a balcony hallway that allowed them to see the entire gambling floor. Bill was walking around the same giant, flashing table. It was a game of craps, where the dice used were much different than the normal six-sided dice. Instead, they used three 48-sided dice and matched the results to cards they bought. Four people would bet their money on one of the 110,592 outcomes possible and how it would react with the elemental card they had chosen. There was earth, air, fire, water, light, and darkness. Once one element was selected, it was out of the running for the other three gamblers. The dice would roll their numbers, and the result would elicit a reaction from the cards selected. If your chosen result was rolled, then you won the corresponding amount to your selection.

The real fun and excitement for a game with impossible odds was what people betted on who would win the ensuing fight when all four almost inevitably made a wrong bet. The cards would summon beasts that corresponded with the rolls and then duke it out in battle. There was intense strategy involved in such a game and people gambled on the fights rather than the initial rolls. Bill Cipher was going to do something even better.

Darkstalker ascended a gold staircase that surprisingly held his weight and made his way with Smithens to a gilded platform suspended over the game floor. There, he saw two men at a sickle shaped table. One was dressed as a cowboy with an impressive mustache, and sat as dealer. The other was an older, but still in his prime man, with a very nice suit and a drink in his hand.

"This is the Thrones of Fate," Smithens explained. "To play, you must ante up something of incredible value. No less than a kingdom or nation's worth, really. From there, you are dealt three cards. You and the others then add to the pot. You and the other players bet against one another and the house in this game. Before you receive another card, you must add to the pot prizes that are equal to or greater than what you anteed in with.

"You may raise the stakes three times after the initial buy-in. Twice to make your hand a full five cards, and once more to try and force others to fold. In this game, however, you can form alliances with both the House and your fellow players to trade cards from your hand. You will see two gold coins apiece for the players and the House. This allows you to trade a card. But it also gives your opponents a chance to cheat or sabotage you with a bad card.

"The house always leads in this game, because the primary goal is to beat the house's total Fate Points. The house always begins with fifty. The players with none. The combination of cards allows you to gain more points, or to lose them, depending on your suits. The deck has five suits of cards, all of which have different combinations and can add or subtract different fate points from your total. By allying yourself with another player, you may beat the house, but the one with the strongest individual hand takes the pot, except for one prize they give the others in their alliance as a token of goodwill."

"Brutal," Darkstalker remarked. He had carefully scanned Smithen's knowledge of the game and learned as much as he could about the different suits, combinations, and tactics. "This will be the perfect game for me. I wish to play immediately!"

Smithens blanched and bowed, before saying, "Excuse me, Your Majesty, but that is not possible!"

"Why not?"

"Because we require others to participate since will be today's only God World Game," Smithens hastily explained.

"Then find others who wish to play," Darkstalker said. "Make an announcement, or something. I'm already claiming my seat."

As he made his way to the table, he stole glances into the two men's minds. The dealer was Wyatt Earp, and he had a special, nasty surprise hidden under the table for any cheaters: a shotgun version of the Golden Gun. He did not trust the dragon, but he wore a very pleasant face nonetheless. The other man was Danny Ocean, who regarded Darkstalker with amusement.

"What brings a fire breathing lizard here? Surely you don't intend on robbing us," Danny laughed before taking another sip of his fancy drink.

"Only if we are gambling together," Darkstalker winked.

"Bold words," Danny replied tightly.

"Dealer, I am a little rusty at card games. Please deal me in for a practice game," Darkstalker asked politely.

Wyatt Earp chuckled and said, "Are you sure you want to play at this table then?"

"Absolutely. I came to take the house, and this feels like the best place to do so!"

"Bold indeed," Wyatt replied. "We have quite the dragon on our hands, I can tell."

"Hey, Wyatt, deal me in as well, why don't you," Danny asked.

The lawman took out regular playing cards and dealt them deftly to the two players. Darkstalker enchanted the cards to float before him, so he could see them without shredding them. He didn't worry too much about his soul. This was a small spell. Besides, what was really worrysome was the amount of magic he had used when fighting Aizen. He had used almost all of it in one moment, but he had done more. He had drawn power from Bill. Something almost like black light.

He figured from what his researched on the tablet about his Hemalurgic earring, was that since it was made with hadium, infused with Hemalurgic power, and made to drain Stormlight, that he could draw other kinds of spiritual or divine powers. He had siphoned Bill's evil powers to some extent and used them as fuel for his spell. The hadium had increased his ability to draw on powers, which was a sneaky trait of hadium, embellishing the intended powers and properties it was imbued with. He figured it would be good to experiment later with the ability. For now, he had to focus on the card game.

It was straight poker.

"So, uh, what's your name, dragon?"

Darkstalker looked at Danny Ocean and answered, "My name is Darkstalker. Once king of the NightWings. What is yours?"

"I'm Danny Ocean, and this here is Wyatt Earp. Hell of a guy to know. So what really brings you to this table? Taking the house here is all but impossible," Danny said.

"I am here to do the impossible," Darkstalker said roguishly. "I am on a quest to rescue my fair maiden, and in order to do that, I must beat all the odds here, use my winnings to equip myself against a god-like villain, slay him, and then rescue her."

"If that is true, then you have my sympathies for having to come this way," Earp said, shaking his head. "But that does make one hell of a tale. I'd like to see where it ends, other than here."

"With my soulmate in my arms, of course," Darkstalker said confidently. H read the rules to poker in the minds of the two men and knew he had lost this round. His hand was terrible. As he folded he asked, "How often has someone walked away from a God World Game a winner?"

Wyatt shrugged and answered, "Less than one in ten, I figure. High stakes means high risks."

"If you have to ask, I'm not sur you are ready for this my friend," Danny sighed. "This is an all-in game where you have to rely on others to win, and they will inevitably backstab you."

"Trust me, I already understand that," Darkstalker grumbled as Wyatt prepped another game. "It's a daily occurrence and thought in my circumstances."

"Then you are even more daring than I would have figured, though that might make sense for a dragon," Wyatt observed. "Look Darkstalker, I'll give you this friendly advice: there's always another way to accomplish what you want. The saying all roads lead to Rome is true, but some roads are not worth the travel or toll. And the company you take with you is just as important as your choice in life. I have seen who could have once been good men fall to an early grave because they took the wrong road and chose the wrong companions."

Darkstalker nodded. "Duly noted. Ha, four of a kind! Fives, but still good."

"Lucky break," Danny smiled. "But nicely done. Thrones of Fate will be much harder."

"I'm confident I can take the house. Seriously, this is not just bravado, but I can do this," Darkstalker said with his own smile.

Smithens wet chuckle alerted the dragon to the man's presence. He had been too focused on the conversation and had not paid attention as he should have. He quickly caught snippets of an anxious Bill, frantically gambling Juan and Revolver, and a cautious Huon, who was betting a large sum on a rat race. He noticed the newcomers now, too. Yameko from _Kakegurui_ , Carface from _All Dogs Go to Heaven_ , and Sora from _No Game No Life_. Instantly, Darkstalker realized that in the last person, Smithens had deliberately found someone who could throw a wrench into the dragon's plans.

Eyes were turning towards this game.

 _Alright, Bill, do your thing_ , Darkstalker ordered.

 _About time_ , Bill shouted in his skull.

"Alright, since you have assembled the players, let us begin," Darkstalker said impatiently.

"Hold on, I want to get in on this action," Danny said. "Wyatt, deal me in with the others."

From below, Bill joined the table, and got his card: darkness, and he bet on the unholy triple six roll. It was one of the six highest paying possibilities. With a single chip, he could walk away with over six million. And winning with a curse, caused the next six pots to be split with him, even if he didn't play. If Bill won this one, it would wreck the floor.

"Will the players please come to the table and present their antes," Wyatt Earp invited.

Darkstalker, already at the table, withdrew Deadpool's head and laid it on the table. "Here I have the remaining body of the mercenary Deadpool. His regenerative powers, if harnessed, grant nigh immortality. This is a gift that kingdoms have been sold and lost over to try and achieve. For this potential prize, I demand one of equal value. I want the Breaths of a Returned God from Warbreaker."

"Done," Wyatt replied immediately. He logged the prize into a computer built into the table. Above head, a crystal ball appeared and Deadpool's head and the Breaths were added to the ball.

"You better get me out of this, you hear me," Deadpool shouted from within the crystal.

Danny offered the influence of Hollywood, Yameko poured in her winnings which made up the fortune of a small kingdom, Carface did the same, and Sora place down a chess piece saying it represented a kingdom under his control, or within his alliance, as he put it. They all made their demands, and the pot was gathered in the sphere.

As Wyatt Earp dealt the cards, Bill won his toss. People screamed and groaned, and he cackled with delight. Darkstalker sensed security rushing downstairs to prevent a riot among angry gamblers. They would quickly make six small bets to get the curse over with. Bill's spot at the table as a winner was secured, though. Everyone would be focusing on how he had won so soon such an impossible gamble. In one stroke, they were already rich enough to buy whatever they needed for weapons.

Well, to kill a god… They needed more money.

Darkstalker looked at his three cards. He had a Five of Witches, a Seven of Angels, and an Ace of Monarchs. The five suits were beggars, Witches, Monarchs, Devils, and Angels. With his already poor hand, Darkstalker knew he was at great disadvantage. That was, however, until he used his magic. He had a special, tricky command in mind. He needed to have all five aces to win against the house on his own. Or have four of them and have an alliance with another player other than the house.

This is where the knowledge he took from Smithens would come in handy. He had cut the man off earlier, but it made difference. There were a few more important aspects to the game. Like Texas Hold 'Em, there were cards placed out onto the table, that you could match with your hand. These cards were free to all players. But alone, they were rarely enough to win, especially since the house used them, too. This meant that Darkstalker needed an alliance. That was where the token came into play. Using one allowed you to forge an alliance with one player. If you used your second on another player, you broke your alliance with the first. However, it was possible for another player to use their token to join your alliance. This meant that it was possible for all five players to gang up on the house. This was the smartest tactic, but it meant losing out on most of the pot, and being at the whims of the winner. Therefore, most absconded this approach.

To make the most of this knowledge, Darkstalker dove into the thoughts of those around him. Sora was of course the most dangerous. The guy was there with his little adopted sister Shiro to get a thrill from a complicated, high stakes game and to see what they could win from others. If they won, Darkstalker would be indebted to them. Scarface was looking to free his soul from hell and was a terrible team player, and all around a moron. He did have a great opening hand of the King of Monarchs and King Witches.

Yameko had the making of a great hand with the three, four, and five of Beggars. While the weakest suit, if it was stronger than the rest of the combinations, even if it was a weak itself, it could depose the Witches and Devils. She was a crazy bird, who was in this purely for the thrill of it. She was a misguided, demented philanthropist. Darkstalker might be able to use that. Finally, there was Danny Ocean, who like him, had a terrible hand. He was only in this for the enjoyment, and he was confident that win or lose, he could make a good get away at the end of the day.

Darkstalker turned his thoughts back to Sora. He could see that the teen was planning on toying with Earp and giving the rest of the players grief with tough talking game. He was also poised to use his chips wisely, as was Wyatt Earp. These two were already focusing more on the alliances than their cards. Darkstalker saw the cards Sora had: The Queen of Devils, the Two of Beggars, and the Jack of Angels. Before them on the table was the King of Angels, the Ace of Beggars, and the ten of Witches. This game could go anyway, especially with Earp, the dealer, holding the cards, King of Angels, ten of Angels, and three of Devils.

What a mess, Darkstalker thought with a grin. I have the perfect command.

"The betting will now begin with Sora, then Carface, going to Darkstalker, to Mr. ocean, and finally to Yameko," Wyatt Earp announced. Darkstalker was vaguely aware the Steel Inquisitors were closing in on Huon now. "Sora, your call."

Sora made his bet, adding another kingdom to the pot. He was now asking for the power to meet gods head to head in games. Interesting. Yameko was in trouble. Carface flaunted his next chip, the Horn of Dog Heaven, demanding freedom from hell as the reward to compensate for his bet. Darkstalker removed the gems the Tscheapwhetzar had given him.

"These were formed with knowledge and magic from the last Tscheapwhetzar. Who owns these can reverse engineer his Corruption magic, the means by which he influences worlds and forges his contracts. For these, I want them filled with Stormlight."

He could hear loud thoughts from beyond. Flayers nearby and nameless big wigs from the casino were floored at such an opportunity. He had still more to bet when the time came. Danny offered one favor from George Cloony, whoever that was, and Yameko offered up the more than fifty contracts of servitude she had won.

Darkstalker gleaned from her thoughts many people came here and gambled themselves into servitude. She had won many of these contracts and used them as immense bargaining chips, because they represented immense credit and debt. She really was a crazy philanthropist!

"Before I deal out the next round of cards, is there anyone willing to form an alliance," Wyatt asked.

Darkstalker tossed in one of his two chips and declared, "I am forming an alliance with Sora, and I want to trade cards."

Everyone looked surprised at such an early move. Darkstalker passed along his worthless five of Witches to Sora, and in return got the two of Beggars. He could use that for Yameko, he realized. But what was really important was that he had passed along with the card a spell that when that card touched the dealer's hands, it would mean that he dealt Darkstalker the remaining aces, no matter what. Also, it would compel Sora to trade with the dealer. Sure enough, Sore formed an alliance with the Wyatt. This put the house far ahead, but that alliance was going to crumble before it was all over, and Darkstalker was in prime position to attack now.

The next round of cards were dealt and Darkstalker received the Ace of Devils. If he had all five aces at his disposal, he would get 75 points, plus one point for every Jack, two for a Queen, and three for each King that was in a playable hand. He would also be guarded from any adverse combinations the others could form. He was going to break the house!

Below, the six rounds had been quickly played, with Bill betting wildly, winning and losing millions in quick succession. But what now caused a massive roar was that he rolled with the card light a triple seven. It now graced the table with triple winnings for everyone for the next three rounds, within limits of course. Everyone wanted a shot at the table, but Bill had just taken another massive chunk from the casino. Security was tightening a noose for the chaos demon. Juan and Revolver had placed most of the coins by now.

With the next round Sora sweet talked Carface in joining him, a pointless move, except to bolster his hand without worrying about bad repercussions. Wyatt made an alliance with Danny Ocean. Yameko kept her hand to herself. The house had the strongest chance of winning now.

When it came time to be again, Darkstalker placed a trinket on the table and said, "While immortality is great, it brings pain. Within this ring is invincibility. A life free of the pains of mortality. It compliments immortality. For this, I want the worth of the Stormlight in cash."

Carface threw in the key to hell, Yameko betted herself, and Danny put up the Batcard. Sore, another kingdom. Darkstalker knew only he and Sora would up the pot beyond this point. The final cards were dealt and he got the Ace of Witches as the Ace of Devils was placed out in the free hand. His spell had worked! Putting all of the aces in his reach! He used his final token to make an alliance with Yameko and gave her the Beggars card she needed.

Instantly, he heard Sora's thoughts. This perceptive genius figured that there was a game being played with the Beggars. He figured it made sense, because Yameko was not reacting in the slightest to the big cards before her. She was looking to undermine them all. He then realized that Darkstalker might be trying to buy his way out of getting backstabbed or had a contingency plan.

If only you knew. My plan worked from the first card!

Sora broke his alliance with the house and also joined Yameko, giving her the final beggars card she needed. The six! Such a weak, yet devastating hand! Danny then made an alliance with Carface. This way, everyone was connected, and the house would win! They all would get something, but the house would make off the better for it. A wise, but cowardly choice.

But then he did something unexpected, he made a useless alliance with Yameko. But then Darkstalker saw it. He gave nothing to offer Yameko, but a smile that he put into it the thought of betraying the house. Going big! Yameko then made the same useless overture, but this time to the house! And she did so with a creepy smile. And by so doing, Yameko represented the entire alliance.

Wyatt Earp played almost never used rule, and returned the favor, breaking off the entire alliance by handing his second token to Yameko. Darkstalker saw that Wyatt believed that Sora and Darkstalker had worked together to create a sinking scenario with Yameko. A highly unlikely one involving Witches and Devils, but the facial expressions were causing him to sweat. He had a powerful hand and a fifty point head start. It was a safe, confident move to rely on his own hand.

I really hope you get to save you girl, Danny thought to himself, glancing at Darkstalker.

Thanks, the dragon thought in kind.

Below, Bill rocked the house with one last impossible roll. The time to move was now!

"I bet myself, the greatest source of animus magic. In return, I want triple the Stormlight you've added to the pot!"

Earp raised an eyebrow, but did as requested. With Sora adding yet another kingdom to the pot, there were indeed worlds worth of goods in the sphere floating over their heads.

"Show your hands," Earp said.

Darkstalker didn't care about the others. His plan had worked! He had the highest hand, and he reacted instantly. As the sphere began descending, so did the security. They saw now that they were being played.

 _Now!_ Darkstalker projected the thought loudly.

He nabbed up Carface and threw the dog at one of the Flayers, right as he felt Huon attack the Inquisitor tailing him. Revolver and Juan began detonating the slot machines, and Bill lashed out with magic, breaking the table. It had held quantum powers and beings, and they were now unleashed on the floor. Darkstalker took the sphere and inhaled the Breath and Stormlight, and pocketed as much as he could. He commanded the table to zoom away and crush the oncoming security. He then sent a headache to the Flayers.

Wyatt Earp shot him with the Golden Shotgun, but his invincible scales held up. Though it hurt a lot! That gun was meant to deliver an instant kill. Earp cocked and eyebrow before ducking the dragon's swinging tail.

"You can have what you want, it means nothing to me! Though..." Darkstalker used a spell to activate the key of hell and the horn. Demon cats and angelic dogs crashed into the casino. "How's that for chaos Bill!?"

"I've taught you well!" Bill appeared in his usual form beside Darkstalker. "I had to give them the slip! They also got me! Now, see that window over there? Let's force them to cash out our chips, and we should be good!"

"Keep up," Darkstalker snarled, flying away, leaving his gambling fellows behind, trapped in between destruction and confusion, and left with priceless valuable.

 _I think we have succeeded in breaking the house_ , Juan thought to everyone, as more explosions went off.


	17. Part 3:3 - Clean Getaway

_Now we just have to escape this sinking ship_ , Revolver thought frantically.

 _We're cashing in our chips right now_ , Bill responded. _Get up to the balcony and we can make our way back to the ship. The chaos is enough that they won't be able to stop us. Nice work with bringing heaven and hell here, Darky!_

 _Don't mention it_ , Darkstalker replied happily. _Actually, you can later, when we reminisce about how awesome I was!_

Revolver shook his head at the vain dragon. He then whipped out his guns and mowed down a few on coming security guards with laser swords.

 _Don't bring knives to a gun fight also applies to laser swords_ , Revolver thought grimly as he made his way to the balcony.

As he sped along, a man in rich sable robes with a cloth mask dropped in front of him. More men with laser swords came to his assistance. Revovler isnantly recognized this man from Darkstalker and Huon's trade of information. He was dealing with a Steel Inquisitor. The inhuman being used its powers to push Ricardo's guns from his hands and slammed his bullets into his chest and side, causing a searing pain. As he was thrown backwards, another force flipped him and he flew away, only to be caught in midair.

He fell to see Huon appear nearby. The High Executioner had caught him and saved him from the Steel pushing of the other Inquisitor. Huon's hands were dripping with blood. Oh, that's right. In the commotion, Revolver had barely glimpsed it, but Huon had pulled the linchpin spikes from three Inquisitors trailing him, instantly killing them. The Executioner now shot them at the other Inquisitor, who dodged them easily.

Revolver caught through the mental link that Huon had used bronze to pierce the other's copper cloud, and detected that he was using speed and Atium to respond. Of course a place this rich and connected would have access to large quantities of Atium! Huon would be in for a difficult battle. Revolver though to even the odds as lobbed a piece of a broken slot machine at the other guards. He luckily still had his smaller guns, and when he got their attention, he sealed it with four men dead with third eyes in their heads.

As Revolver drew most of the guards off, he sensed how Huon was left to deal with the fourth Inquisitor and the few laser sword wielders that stuck to the bigger fight. Revolver gave another one of Darkstalker's trigger phrases, and more coins detonated more machines. One such was close by and blasted a number of the men with shrapnel. Blood, metal, and chips sprayed across the floor. More explosions rocked the casino, and patrons flew like crazy.

Suddenly, the explosions and fires began going in reverse. Revolver struggled against a force that was trying to pull him back in time! The casino was going to rectify their mistake with the Vigilantes!

A purple hued shockwave washed over the scene, and despite himself, Ricardo glanced upwards to the balcony where Bill and Darkstalker were at. Bill had upended a bottle of magicked time punch, which had halted the time reversal. Everything then reset itself to where it was supposed to be, with Revolver watching as his explosions stopped the oncoming security forces.

"Heads up everyone," Bill called out. "Cash in your chips and leave now! The house wants to keep you here if they can! Get out before they start up that machine again!"

 _Who's going to believe a villain and someone who just wrecked the casino itself_ , Revolver thought.

 _O you of little faith_ , Bill responded. _Gamblers hate a cheat, and though I for sure cheated, the mere idea and now knowledge that the casino could reverse effects here, will get them thinking that they have always been played. We have just crashed the Grand House by exposing a terrible secret!_

Bill's laughter rang out over the chaos, as now the patrons, even amidst the fire and carnage, either rushed to cash their chips, or turned on the casino staff and started attacking them. The scene's slaughter increased. Revolver laid down his own cover fire as he backed away.

Huon used the lurching distraction of the time reversal to speed into the other Inquisitor's kill zone, where he then activated his bendalloy. Though the other Inquisitor used his Atium to avoid getting killed, Huon had used the moment of concentrated, sped up time, to spray shrapnel at the other guards. Though the bubble would affect the trajectory of the small missiles, such a spray still mowed most of them down as Huon dropped his speed bubble. He then used his iron to pull in the swords, and made a hurricane around the Inquisitor.

Even with his Atium, the Hemalurgic monster couldn't keep up. One sword took off an arm, and Huon closed in for the kill. Meanwhile, Revolver was whacked over the head by a guard with twisted piece of a destroyed slot machine. He vaguely felt through the link what the others were doing. Something about wrenching out the Grand House's cash… Picking up something… Pulling out a spike through the eye…

The man kicked away Revolver smaller guns, and then pulled out his own. "No one… No one takes the house!"

A shot rang out and Revolver flinched as the guard toppled dead. Juan stood behind where the man had been, holding one of Revolver's tossed aside weapons. The youth looked shocked at what he had done.

"I… I actually killed someone," he said numbly.

"And saved me in the process," Revolver cried out, jumping up and taking his gun back.

Loading in an explosive round, he blew away the rest of security personnel.

"It's like we are killing, slaughtering, obliterating masses of nameless, featureless faces. We aren't giving any thought to our actions," Juan continued, clearly in some kind of shock.

Revolver hauled the kid away by the arm and growled, "This is war, Juan. Remember, we do have a goal! We must get the Quill of Inspiration from Aizen. This was the best plan we had then, and it's working so far! Just remember that! Now let's get going!"

As they ran upstairs, Huon fell into place beside them after a jump.

"I managed to get some good metal reserves off my fallen brothers," the Executioner informed them happily. "I didn't bring much of my winnings though."

"It doesn't matter," Bill shouted to them. "Darky and I combined took somewhere in the vicinity of 6 trillion dollars!"

Everyone pulled up short at that.

"How!?"

"The Grand House is almost too big to fail. They have the worth of worlds here! Trillions of dollars would be almost chump change to them! They allow for such high numbers to be played. It is their reputation, the damages here, and the enemies they have just made, that will ruin this casino for a long while yet!" Bill almost beside himself with glee.

"Let's get back to the ship quick! We'll have to clear the platform of guards when we get there," Darkstalker warned.

"You are not going anywhere, you recreant lizard," Smithens bellowed as he ran up to them.

The spindly man began growing in size, as his muscles bulged and he started getting taller, ripping his clothes in the process.

"I am surprised I didn't see that in him," Darkstalker said, amused. "Bind Smithens."

The carpet reacted and became like coils of snakes. They reached out and restrained Smithens long enough for Darkstalker to stretch out and bite the man's head off. Deadpool's head then rolled into view.

"You forgot me! You were going to leave me behind!"

Darkstalker sighed and popped the mercenary's head back into his pouch, as Bill activated the portal back to their ship. Sure, guards were waiting for, but Huon's increased weight and Steel Pushing allowed him to throw them all into open space. The Vigilantes quickly boarded their ship, and in a flurry of exchanged gun fire, they escaped the Grand House's premises.

"Alright everyone, I'm deactivating the devices I gave you all. No more shared thoughts," Darkstalker informed them.

"Thank you," they all replied collectively.

The shared thoughts had distracted Revolver too much during the fight, but one thing he nearly missed before Darkstalker took away his spell was Juan's last shared thought. He had never killed like that before. He had already seen battle multiple times, and had taken a shot here and there, but that was the first time he had murdered.

 _I'm sorry Juan. I know this better than most. I cannot coddle or comfort you right now. The shock must leave first, and then you must think it over. But I'll be there for you when you are ready to talk. After you've had some time to yourself._

Then it would be a good time to thank the boy for saving him.

"Alright! Let's get us some weapons," Bill shouted as he punched in the next coordinates and they zipped away to another corner of the Tumblrverse.


	18. Part 3:4 - Backyard Blacksmiths

The newest corner of the Tumblrverse that the Villainous Vigilantes found themselves in was an odd, folksy planet where everyone lived in some wooded area, with a cottage, and a barn for making stuff. Most of the populace was bearded men with a light smattering of busty, beautiful women. Huon could not even begin to fathom what minds from the Origin had birthed such a distasteful place.

The High Executioner stomped around the muddy road between the cottages and their workshops, thinking about just too many things. For one, he was wondering why Bill Cipher, a demon with powers based in chaos, would want to have weapons. Furthermore, why would he want the others armed with specialized times necessary to kill a god? And an important follow up question: could their weapons they had commissioned on this world actually slay the seemingly invincible Sosuke Aizen? Then there was the question of whether or not Huon's design for new axes would work out. And finally, did any of this even matter?

As a leading member of the Final Empire's Steel Ministry, Huon was seeped deep in the doctrines of the Lord Ruler's church. Only, the Lord Ruler was very much dead according to the books his Originator, Brandon Sanderson, had written. At first he did want to believe it, but according to Bill and everything he read, even asking Juan, all confirmed the truth. The Lord Ruler was not a god, and he was dead. The very purpose Huon had lived for, and would even die for once his purpose as High Executioner was complete, was all for naught.

He was a purposeless creature.

So why did he want to fight against Aizen? The best answers he could come up with were these: firstly, Aizen had tried to kill him. Huon was not someone to let that pass. Secondly, and maybe most importantly, he was a creation of Ruin. Ruin's sole purpose was to corrupt and destroy all life. When Huon wasn't doing those things, he was void of purpose. Why not then kill the man who had betrayed him, lay hands on the Quill of Inspiration, and give himself a greater purpose? Or give himself the chance to forever do what Ruin intended for the Steel Inquisitors to do?

It was as good an answer as any that he could come up with at the moment. He decided it was best to stick to that and continue on. He believed he had a good plan of how to betray the others and take the Quill once they had defeated Aizen. He had been working carefully with his gifts from the Tscheapwhetzar to install a special program in the ship. With it, he could take control of the weapons, hold off the other Vigilantes and make a jump to safety, where he could then use the Quill.

 _It's risky, and it honestly isn't the most secure of plans_ , he admitted to himself. _But it'll do. In the heat of the moment, the others will not be expecting an immediate double cross, not even Darkstalker. I hope. And if I am lucky enough, Aizen will probably have killed him and Bill first. They are the ones with the greatest potential to defeat him. Once they had dealt their blows, I will deliver mine!_

Huon turned his gaze to the nearest barn, where his commission was being worked on. He had paid a sizable amount from their take at the casino to pay for his new weapons. Two axes, not made of obsidian like a normal Inquisitor's axe, but of a durable, light crystal. Furthermore, these crystals would have a life force draining capability. A perfect tool for an executioner facing a god.

Of course, Bill would have known about a place like this. That damned little triangle knew too much. But in this case, his knowledge was playing well into Huon's hands. The other Vigilantes had also commissioned their own weapons. The little human, Juan, had ordered a custom lightsaber. From Huon learned, it was going to be a kind of sword. Then Ricardo, true to form, ordered new guns and magical bullets. The craftsmen had been especially overjoyed when they heard that request. They were working very closely with the stern man to make his new guns.

Bill had simply requested a ring, but the particulars he had kept to himself. Huon wondered if the smith working on the ring would be paid with a swift death once the job was complete. Then there was the dragon, Darkstalker, who had ordered a sword of unbreakable alloy. Huon thought that a little silly, considering that the dragon had such incredible powers with his Animus magic, why would he need a blade?

 _Not that the people here are complaining; they are charging us nearly everything we took from the House to fill these order, plus outfitting our ship further and stocking it. An army of five. Six if you count that babbling head, Deadpool. Why the beast keeps that insufferable head with him is beyond even the Lord Ruler's ability to comprehend!_

Huon felt a cold breeze pass by and he could smell moisture on the air. He turned upwards, and with his enhanced vision watched the oncoming storm. With the eyes granted to him by becoming an Inquisitor, he saw the souls of others around him and the outlines of metal in the world. Both were everywhere, and painted a picture that was beyond was any normal sight could perceive. Even in the clouds, there were traces of the metallic elements. Water that evaporated was not entirely pure, as some would have guessed.

Waiting for the axes to be forged was agitating, but he was also exhausted. The process of becoming and being a Steel Inquisitor was tiring. He eeded some sleep, and he needed to add more physical attributes into his metals, through the Feruchemical powers he had stolen. They would enhance his body later for the fight with Aizen. He had been doing the math on the Soul Reaper's Flash Step. He believed that through compounding metals, he could create a burst of speed fast enough to allow him to beat even Aizen's quick reflexes and land a decisive blow.

As the Inquisitor finally turned to make his way to the ship, from the corner of his nail, he saw a burst of blinding light. The dragon was flying towards him. Endowed with vast amounts of Breath and Stormlight, Darkstalker's soul was like a blazing sun. It hurt to look at for too long.

 _What does he want_ , Huon thought angrily.

Darkstalker landed with a blast of wind, and Huon had to tap his weight metal mind in order to keep his footing. The dragon looked down at him, blinding him with his presence. There was that one point, on his ear, that shown brightest of all. He too had a Hemalurgic spike. Huon had tried Pushing and Pulling on the dragon's emotions, but either because it wasn't connected to being human, or because of some other power, Huon's results had been minimal.

"Ah-ha, here you are Huon! You shouldn't be sulking about just before a storm," Darkstalker said with a very friendly tone; Huon didn't trust it.

"You're not here to trade pleasantries," Huon spat in his grinding voice. "Why did you seek me out?"

"Straight to the point, eh? I can respect that," Darkstalker smirked. "Especially because it is a matter that concerns both of us."

For a brief, panicked moment, Huon wondered, _Did he somehow break my Coppercloud? Does he now know my plan to double cross them? Fool! Don't think about it in his presence! Just pay attention and learn what you can._

"It involves a question of Investiture," Darkstalker said. "When you use Hemalurgy, do you capture all of the qualities of Investiture from your victim?"

Huon titled his head a little and asked, "What leads you to that question? As far as I know, once you a spike, you claim the quality that the spike is supposed to steal. Using the right metal, the right victim, and placing the nail in the right position, you get the desired result."

"Well, here's my problem, I have taken on so much Breath, and my earring from the Tscheapwhetzar is supposed to give me the ability to access that power. I can use it to fuel my Animus magic, however, I do experience the effects of so much Breath. I do not have the heightenings, I just _shine_!" Darkstalker frowned and continued, "I wonder if something went wrong that I do not have the full Investiture that should be mine?"

 _You are already too powerful as it is_ , Huon thought. Instead he said, "From conversing with Bill, I have learned a little more about the Tscheapwhetzar's powers. He has the ability to only corrupt people and lands, but also systems of power. It is very likely that he could have then discovered a way of preventing a Hemalurgic spike from doing exactly what it was meant to. Which is frightening thought."

"You are right, betraying him and running off with the Quill after we kill Aizen will a dangerous move. Because if Hemalurgy is the power of a god, and he can manipulate it, there is a chance he could even combat the power of the Quill!"

"You bring up a good point," Huon said, resisting the urge to scratch at his spikes. "We should al take great care to know exactly how we would use the Quill and then do it speedily before he shows up and tries to claim it and us."

"Well, that will be easy for me," Darkstalker said with a stupid grin. "I'm going back and fixing everything! I have decided I can forgive fathom and Clearsight. I will make sure that we live together forever and always stay together as friends. We will rule my world with justice and peace! I will then later meet Moon and her friends, and they will be there to help me keep everything right. The perfect, never-ending END!"

"Sounds lovely," Huon deadpanned. "Now, if you'll excuse me Darkstalker, I want to check on my axes before taking a rest."

"They're not done yet," the dragon called after him. "I can read their minds, so I know it. Besides, I have one more question for you."

Huon turned on a heel and gave the dragon and angry glare, which Darkstalker shrugged odd with a gesture from his wings. A large, spikes tail snaked out from the dragon and nudged Huon even closer.

"Do you have any spare Atium? I want to try something."

"I have no Atium to give you," Huon spat. "I need it all for our upcoming battle!"

"Fair, I guess. Then I will have to use one of my three beads," Darkstalker sighed.

"How did you get those!?"

"I purchased them here. This world has access to just about any material ever conceived in all of the Realms," the dragon explained. "Granted, you have to be able to pay for it, but after the haul we brought in, I decided it was okay to splurge. Especially if it helps bring us closer to victory, and I have a feeling it will."

"You've had a vision," Huon asked.

Darkstalker winked and said, "I very brief one, but it involved raging torrents of power. The might of Investiture. So, I have one more experiment: Atium allows one to see a little ways into the future, correct? And not just one future, but all possible ones."

"And comprehend them all. What's your point?"

"Clearsight had that ability, and without the aid of any metal or exterior force. I have wondered what it might be like for me if I use it. Well, down the hatch," Darkstalker said, popping a small bead into his mouth.

To Huon's eyes, it was like a brilliant speck of dust being devoured by a giant. He used Bronze to sense whatever changes there might be in Darkstalker as he consumed Atium. He knew that the Hemalurgic spike was meant to allow the dragon to access Breath and Stormlight, not to use Allomantic abilities. However, he did have precognitive powers, and those could mix with Atium in some way, even if the great lizard lacked the ability to burn it. Hopefully, it would just make Darkstalker sick.

The Steel Inquisitor jumped back in surprise at the dragon burst with even greater radiance than before. Darkstalker went rigid for a brief second and then it all passed. The dragon slumped a little, as if he were suddenly weakened.

"What just happened," both of them asked together.

"An important moment in a character's personal arc," Deadpool responded simply, his voice still muffled by Darkstalker's armored pouch. "I would have thought that was pretty self-explanatory. Tell us Scales, what did you see?"

"Never mind," Darkstalker snapped, punching the pouch.

"You should just drown him and get it over with," Huon said. "Though how you drown a head that is severed from the rest of the body could prove to be a problem. Better eat him."

"I want to save myself the indigestion," the dragon replied. "I think I will also take a nap… That took a little out of me."

As far as Huon could see, the dragon was still in perfect condition, but it was clear that something had happened. That was a dangerous sign. It was now very likely that the Tscheapwhetzar had given Darkstalker the ability to utilize Atium. Huon would have to see to it that the beast didn't get his claws on any more. It was too dangerous a tool to leave to anyone but himself.

He decided he would look into the matter he immediately, and stalked towards the nearest barn, where his axes were being made. The rain began to fall lightly as he neared the door. It was a cooling and pleasant blanket of droplets, but Huon had never been one to stay outside and enjoy the rain. That was an activity for lazy skaa and dreaming nobility.

Shouldering the door open, Huon discovered the blacksmith Victor hard at work. The young man had a bushy, brown beard that had to be tucked into his shirt to keep it out of his work. The man was in general a hairy specimen. With a grinding wheel, he was chiseling down and sharpening one of Huon's axes. The crystal had a strange glow to it, he noticed.

"Ah Huon, glad to see you here," Victor said in a high, nasally voice that belied his physical appearance. "Your commission is almost done!"

"That is a very interesting substance you have there," Huon commented.

"Yeah! I had to import this crystal from the planet Auxetelam. Weird name, I know, but it is a crazy place! It's a planet made up of mostly strange crystalline elements that is constantly shifting and falling apart, and then reforming," Victor explained happily. "Many of the crystals have the ability of absorbing power, and they don't release it unless they are broken, and when they do, it is catastrophic."

"Then why go with something like this?"

"Oh don't worry! I've taken great pains to make sure that it would take an incredible force to even chip these beauties, that is part of the large cost," the blacksmith said with a grin.

"Then I look forward to trying them out," Huon replied. "I only hope that you are as good as your reputation."

"Everyone here is a legendary craftsman, we are woth every penny! You'll be beyond pleased with the result!"

Huon nodded and he stepped closer to the blacksmith, and whispered in his grinding voice, "I need one more thing: the dragon Darkstalker is seeking out Atium. He cannot be allowed to get his claws on anymore than what he has. I want the word spread that anyone with the ability to procure the metal, or who has some on hand is to either hide it, or deliver it to me."

"I dunno buddy," Victor sighed. "That is a tall order. And it will cost more to get that order taken care of. A precious commodity like Atium is mean to be used, not hoarded."

"Are your lives worth it? Is the life of your little wife worth it, Victor," Huon asked pointedly. "I have no qualms with testing those axes out everyone here."

Victor swung the ax towards Huon, but he was easily pushed back with a Steel Push. The man was in no way prepared to deal with a Steel Inquisitor, let alone a High Executioner. Huon knew the man would not eve have any idea what he was up against.

"Your life will be compensation enough. Do as I have ordered, and you will live fully with the fortune I am already paying you. And your wife will be unharmed. Do as I have requested, or suffer the consequences."

"There are many of us blacksmiths, and we can handle ourselves," Victor snarled, still stuck by the Push against the barn wall.

"But none of you are ready to deal with Bill Cipher or an Animus. Of that I am very certain," Huon said with an unpleasant smile.

Victor became crestfallen and the Inquisitor laughed. "Just do your job Huon, and we'll be out of your hair soon. See to it!"

He let go of Victor, who crumpled to the floor and said in a timid voice, "You have yourself a deal."

"And no tampering with those axes," Huon said. "I would hate for your name to become besmirched by shoddy craftsmanship."

With that, Huon left and felt very pleased with himself. He used his brass and zinc to further motivate Victor with an ounce of urgency and a pound of terror. Now it was time for that nap.


	19. Part 3:5 - A Rain of Shadows

Bill Cipher floated about and used his all-seeing eye to keep watch on the different blacksmiths and other Vigilantes. He watched Huon threaten one of the smiths. He watched Darkstalker fret about his powers. He watched Ricardo conspire with other smiths over guns and bullets that would tear into a soul's very being. He saw Juan looking lost and forlorn, wandering about. It was the ideal conditions for his plans.

With everyone doing their own thing and pursuing their own goals and plans, they would not be able to untie against him and stop him when he made his move for the Calamus of Canon. He knew exactly what he would do with the Quill. He would go back and destroy the Pines Family! He would break the borders of the strange town and unleash his weirdness on the entire dimension the Pines once inhabited. He would then muster his strength and bring his party to the pocket dimension where the Tscheapwhetzar resided. He would then make him pay for conscripting him into this war.

Central to that plan of his, leaving everyone high and dry in the D&D world where Aizen was hanging out with the Quill of Inspiration, was the ring was that being forged at that very moment. Having spent time with other villains the Tscheapwhetzar had, for someone odd reason, collected and marshalled under his banner, he had gotten to know one Sauron.

This dark lord had come up with an ingenious idea to avoid dying by creating an all-powerful Ring that held part of his spirit and multiplied his powers and would corrupt and destroy anyone who stole it or tried to destroy it. Bill had taken the time to go through Sauron's story. Now, he didn't need a Horcrux like Sauron or even the misguided Voldemort. What he needed was an instrument to magnify his own weirdness, so that he could wield it as an even sharper and more powerful weapon.

 _Let Aizen try to us his logic and power to overcome my weirdness! With my powers over chaos and the illogical, combined with Darkstalker's foresight, and Huon's perception, even his illusions will topple, and we'll kill him!_

Bill laughed at this thought. It felt so good to be so close to the end of his long road. All that lay ahead would be a never-ending party, the way he had always designed. Soon, like the others, he went to retrieve his order from the smithies. He had chosen specifically older men with a wealth of imagination, but with no connection to modern media. The poor fools did not even see it coming when he placed the ring on his finger and used his powers to completely rearrange the faces and bodies of the smiths. He rendered them incapable of telling anyone else what he had at his disposal.

 _Though, I will still have to keep an eye on Darkstalker. His powers are just too broken for a dragon's_ , he thought. _But then again, it feels like the Seltzerwater guy has been planning something big revolving around dragons. What dragons he already has at his disposal have not even been committed to the front lines, but have instead been sent for other projects. He's holding them back, but why?_

For good measure, as Bill left the smithy with his thoughts, he dropped a hot iron on some hay. He would let the place burn to the ground. It was raining though, which would help put out the overall inferno, but they poor souls inside would still be charred beyond edible. Again, Bill started laughing.

As he twirled the ring on his finger, he sensed something happening above him. His eye swiveled on his face to look upwards. Crashing through the storm clouds came gigantic, shadowy hands. They fell on the barns and homes, crushing them and digging deep into the earth. Bill waved his hand and the clouds parted. Above him floated a Shadow. A Dreadnaught.

The massive, misshapen beast had its chest open, exposing the strange hands that continued to fall with the rain to the earth, and shatter the homes and general surroundings. The earth trembled at the hands started widening the cracks and burrowed ever deeper into the planet.

 _They're going to tear it apart from the inside! How wonderful!_

A single Dreadnaught had both the size and capacity to do such a thing.

"Okay everyone, it's time that we get out of here," Bill called out. "Get to the ship and everything like that. I hope your commissions are done like mine!"

So long as he had what he wanted, everything was fine. He floated leisurely towards the ship as people screamed in the distance and the ground shook with attack from above. Darkstalker was fending off hands and arms from the floating beast as Bill neared the ship.

"We need to get out of here, quickly! I had a vision, something very bad is going to happen to this world!"

Bill knew what it was, and he wondered if his ring could stop such an occurrence. But then again, why do that, when he could enjoy the terrible slaughter that was about to unfold. Also, it would further hide his little trick.

"Are the others here," Bill asked.

"Were you hoping we wouldn't be," Revolver spat as he closed in from behind, with Juan sprinting to keep up.

Huon dropped from the sky and growled, "We need to go."

Bill noted that the Inquisitor looked both disturbed and relieved. Funny that a guy with less facial expression than himself could be so easily read. Bill chuckled out loud, getting sideways glances from the others.

"What are you all standing around here for, then? Let's get going! I have the coordinates to where we are going to punch through a very scary corner of the Tumblrverse! Get ready to put on your tin foil hats so you don't become infected with over nerdiness! Hahaha!" Bil was quite enjoying himself at the moment. "Make to the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons, the even more boring Origin to Dungeons, Dungeons, and more Dungeons!"

As Bill made his way into the large ship, there was something that tickled his senses. There was a strange familiarity in the air. He turned red and his anger flared.

"Pines! Was is this? What is going on?"

The others paused to watch as Bill rose up into the air, glaring at the Dreadnaught.

"Who is the little piece of cosmic garbage that comes from all the way from Gravity Falls, here," Bill challenged. He could feel it now. There was someone from Gravity Falls on that ship, but there was something very different about them. He could feel the taint of Pine Tree on him, but there was something very different, and very wrong. It put Bill on edge. He didn't understand how he could feel it, but he knew he needed to confront it.

Many of the tunneling arms began to twist themselves unnatural and form circular symbol, hollow in the center. The air in the center of the circle blurred, forming a portal, and out of it stepped a young man with black armor, a beaked mask, and blood red feather draping down his shoulders.

"If it isn't the great Cipher himself! When my master told me that his bonds had been weakened, I wondered what that could have meant. He tried to explain it to me, but now that I see you here, it all makes sense."

Bill hated the self-important tone of voice the whelp had. He growled, "Are you really from Gravity Falls?"

"Yes, I am."

"What's your name?"

"Priest," the boy said. "That is all I am now, until I can again return and claim what is rightfully mine. You sense him, don't you? Dipper Pines, and the rest of his thrice damned family? You could join me, Cipher, and together we will purge the Falls of the Pines Family, and take what was always meant to be ours!"

He put out a hand and Bill backhanded it, causing the boy's arm to wither and melt away. Priest jumped back with a shout of pain, but with a guttural growl, his arm began growing back rapidly.

"I'll take that as a no, then."

"I work alone to get what I want," Bill said. "Anyone with me is either a henchmaniac or a pawn in my games, like the fools down there. But you worthless in either position. I can tell that you have your own agenda, and because you are clearly an angsty teen!" Bill said this, growing larger and floating with his eye uncomfortably close to Priest. "-I can tell that you would be nothing but a hindrance to me."

"What a shame," Priest sighed. "Because I was hoping that together we could find the Quill of Inspiration and together get our revenge."

"Oh shut it," Bill said, snapping his fingers and sealing Priest's lips. "You have no such intention. There's something seriously wrong with you, though, kid. It's like you're made up of an even unhealthier dosage of insane with darkness, corruption, and obsession. You know full well what I want, but I honestly can't even say what you really want, and I doubt you could answer me truthfully even if I pressed the issue!"

Behind his mask, Priest looked disturbed, as if something Bill had just said had cut him deep. "Am I really… forgetting? But this is all… All for…"

Bill slapped Priest across the back. "It's obvious that you have some real issues pal, so I'm just going to let you think them OVER!"

Bill used his powers to start twisting and breaking Priest's body into all kinds of unnatural directions. The teen screamed through his mask, and his armor shattered. A black wave of smoke issued from his body and punched Bill across the sky. More hands came from the Dreadnaught to grab him. As he dodged them, Poisonous yellow lightning started chasing and dancing after him.

Bill threw up shield and created wormholes and other things to deflect the hands and lightning. The hands he could easily destroy or deal with, but the lightning was relentless. It would take hold of whatever trick he used and break it.

 _I wonder just what kind of power this Abomination has_ , Bill wondered. _What the dead Time Baby!? They're leaving without me!_

Sure enough, the Vigilantes were hauling the ship into the sky and getting ready to make out of dodge. Bill zoomed as fast as he could towards the ship and fazed through the hull. He looked back and saw Priest twisting back into shape, an angry red aura now enveloping him. Bill raced right into the cockpit.

"Maybe I should make sure we stay here! Since that is what you guys were about to do to me!"

"Oh look, the little Dorito is back," Deadpool's voice said, drifting over the intercom.

"Shut him up," everybody chanted," back, and there was an audible punch from Darkstalker.

"Quit your complaining and get us out of here then," Huon spat. "It was you who decided to spend some time playing with the enemy."

"It wasn't quite playing, I can assure you," Bill grumbled, as he took the helm and punched in the coordinates.

The ship now rose sharply and made its way through the atmosphere. They guided it out of the reach of the Dreadnaught as it bore even more down on the planet. Though the beast was only the size of a small moon, as they escape the world of smithies, Bill and the others watched as the Dreadnaught tore a large chuck of the planet away and shot a beam down into the core. The planet started coming apart violently, and shadows issued forth from the Dreadnaught, and began consuming the wreckage.

"Well, that was lovely," Bill said happily. "But sightseeing time is officially past! We have work to do in the enchanted and nerd-ridden world of D&D! I hope you brought your hot pockets!"

"I've got the chimichangas and tacos," Deadpool sang happily.

There was another loud thump over the intercom.


	20. Interlude 3

Interlude 3 –

Ezekiel

As an Abomination, Ezekiel had the ability to morph his shape, which came in handy for a large number of reasons. Today, his good reason for being to able to transform was that he could become even more intimidating. The boy calling himself Priest had taken command of the attack on the Blacksmith Page, which had ended with only wholescale destruction. They had not captured the Tscheapwetzar's scouting party, gleaned any useful information, and Priest's attack method had caused the world to become scraped before they could Consume anything worth using.

Such an abysmal display from one would claim to be his superior was enough for Ezekiel to remove the youth from command and resume the search the Vigilantes in his own fashion. Using a form of a melting serpent with bones and mismatched limbs, all wielding cruel, serrated weapons, Ezekiel tore verbally into his rival.

"You let a motley group of villains and wandering should escape you, and you had a Dreadnaught at your command!" Ezekiel relished getting the chance to rant and roar at the trembling Priest. He shifted his body again and became a cloud of ash with many red eyes all trained on his quarry. "Your display was pathetic! It is a shame to the armies of the King! But not only have we lost a valuable planet and lost our mark once again, but our pointless, relentless chase meant that we could not support my brethren in securing the Starlines for the HBO fans.

"The Guardians have conquered there, and now they can advance even further into Tumblr! Intelligence reports that we will soon be facing two diferent armies. We cannot tangle with the Tscheapwhetzar and a random Guardian, while holding off a barrage from multiple Starlines! They are using our own tactics against us now!"

"That is hardly my fault," Priest began to protest.

Ezekiel summoned a cudgel from within himself and slammed it hard into the the young man's back. He hit hard enough to crack priest's armor and send him sprawling yards away. Ezekiel took another form. This time he was towering bear made of gray and green sludge, dripping poison and acid all over the deck of the Dreadnaught. The smell he Will into the air, a noxious perfume that would dull one's mind, hit the Priest hard and he started retching.

Ezekiel did not give him a moment to recover, and grasped him with an oozing claw. "What is your fault is that we are not in a good position anymore! Sure, we may have lost those Starlines either way, but my way was one of tracking. Keeping a watchful eye on. I only moved when I knew I had a good chance of capturing them! You attacked and destroyed a valuable planet and made a lackluster attempt at capturing them!

"Where was the air support? Where were the scouts? Where were you on the battlefield? We should be better positioned from afar, unknown to our enemies until the time is right! What you have done is light a damn beacon for all to see!"

"So, you strike out of the shadows like a coward," Priest challenged.

"You cannot claim such a thing, especially when I can smell the scent of battle on you, but it is to your back! I don't know exactly what foul winds brought you to me, but I can tell that you ran rather than coming out of necessity."

"Implying?"

"You know full well," Ezekiel growled, hurling Priest against a wall. "The Dreadnaught and all our forces are once again mine to command. Once we have obtained the Quill, I will haul you before the King myself and we will see what he has to say about _you_."

Priest managed to rise, acidic muck clinging to his armor, his feathers sizzling away. Raging eyes peered back at the Abomination and for a moment, Ezekiel felt impressed, despite himself.

"Once we have the Quill? At the rate you are going, Ezekiel, we will never have our hands on that all-powerful device. We need to take action!"

"Priest," the Abomination interrupted. "Tell me, do you know what makes someone like me?"

The youth stopped for a moment, his mouth opening and closing, somewhat confused. He finally rose to shaky feet and muttered, "No."

"Then let this suffice. The pieces that make me all know about the higher forms of Imaginational Warfare. I can wield Imagination, the Essence of Creation, in ways that you cannot even begin to comprehend. There are methods of fighting _and_ finding. If you are just willing to take your time and _See._ "

Ezekiel turned away and assumed the form of a half scorpion, half man combination, and proceeded to the Dreadnaught's helm. If the Priest didn't want to catch some kind of infection, he should go and clean himself up. If he didn't, which was preferable, he'd be dead. Priest to the King indeed. The young man knew nothing!

If he was even a competent warrior in the Realms, and knew how to handle the power and experience Ezekiel felt coursing through his veins, the Priest would have realized something very important. There was a very dangerous Presence that had just impressed itself all around them. Someone now wielded incredible power. Through his own Presence, Ezekiel could probe it and trace it. Whoever it was that now held so much power was very new to this and wasn't taking the necessary precautions to guard themselves.

Somewhere, out there in the Tumblrverse, hidden behind the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons, someone had gotten their hands on the Commanding Crown. And with the Quill of Inspiration, they had heightened its powers. This was the real reason to let the Vigilantes continue their quest. They would find the person with the Crown and Quill and engage them in a battle. Once that was underway, Ezekiel would finally swoop in and take the prize.

In fact, armies from the guardians might not be so bad. If he could find a way to pull them in as well, all kinds of delicious, chaotic possibilities suddenly opened up to him. Ezekiel relished the thought.

Aizen

Sosuke Aizen watched the Villainous Vigilantes make their way to a portal that would bring them right into a world of Dungeons and Dragons. He had summoned the Dungeon Masters' guides and was reading them to better familiarize himself with the worlds he was now taking over. He sat on a high, stone thrown, the Crown of Power sitting at his feet. The Quill of Inspiration in his hand.

He made notes in a smaller book as he watched his former comrades make their progress. He saw all of their little plans, and he was already concocting the counter measures for them. Darkstalker and Bill would be the most troublesome. They would put his illusionary powers to their greatest test yet. The others would be easily dealt with. Each one of their selfish strategies would be dashed against the reef that was his power and planning.

"All of this power is well and good, but it does not elevate e, not fully guard me from the dangers the Accursed and the Abominations pose," he mused to himself. "It is imperative then that I seek out the highest tier of divinity and claim it for my own. I intended then and I still do to achieve that goal."

In his left hand he held up the Hogyoku. He smiled at it, and thought about what he had done. This time, his ascension would be perfect. He could not rely on the Quill or the Crown. They were merely tools and distractions for his enemies as he took the one, true path that would take him to the heights of gods and beyond.

His battle with the Villainous Vigilantes would be his moment of triumph.


	21. Part 4:1 - Level One

As per the arcane rules of D&D, the ship could go no further. The Villainous Vigilantes would have to go by foot the rest of the way to their destination. Bill had used his sight to chart the way for them. They would have to cross two small kingdoms, a big river, and ton of forests and dungeons to get to two large peaks, between which a ravine would connect them to a tunnel that would finally take them to the world of Talisman.

Juan had once played the game with some friends back in Reality, but he had found it too long and too structured. It just didn't feel right for a board game and was not loose enough to be enjoyable like an actual game of D&D or Pathfinder. Not that he was too big into those games, either. The Writer in him wanted things to still be orderly and make sense, just as the Order stood for. D&D often became anything but!

Revolver walked up to him and thrust a long sheet of paper into his hands. "The demon Doritio had these printed out for everyone. He called them our character sheets."

Juan looked his over and cried out, "A Level One Nuisance? What is the meaning of this garbage. I have no useful traits, skills, six coppers, and HP is an abysmal 7! I'll be a hinderance to the team rather than a help! Let me have a look at your sheet."

The tall, mustached man handed his over and Juan read it over carefully. "This is insane. You are a level 17 Rogue with all these useful abilities. You can bluff, sneak, negotiate, pick locks, rig explosions, wield any weapon. Heck! You even still have your guns! How does that work?"

"Simple," Huon growled from behind. "The ship requires advanced technology to work, but Revolver's guns operate along the designs of simple locks, levers, and basic chemistry. The only thing advanced about his weapons is how they are assembled. Otherwise, anyone could put them together not break the rules of old technology."

"Trust the Steel Inquisitor to have the particulars," Juan grumbled. "You can't even see things clearly with all of that blue, spirit stuff!"

"I can see more clearly than any man," Huon snapped.

"Easy Amigo," Revolver said, leading Juan away. "Boy, I know you are upset, but now is not the time or place. We need to work together. I swore I would help you out. I keep my promises."

"It's just not fair! I bet that Bill has it set up to where he is a level 99 god of death and chaos!"

"However did you figure that out," Bill asked happily as he zipped on by suddenly. "Come on you sluggish sacks of rotting flesh! I Want to get to Aizen before he realizes how close we are! I want to be right on top of that smug grin so I can RIP IT OFF!"

"Bill," Juan called out angrily. "Does this sheet mean I am really all these things?"

"Yes. Yes it does," the demon gloated.

"I'll die if I trip," Juan protested. "I need to be better!"

"Then get better," Bill laughed. "As if that will happen!"

"Why don't I just fly us to our destination," Darkstalker grumbled. "That would be faster. We dragons do better in the air than crawling on the ground like a common lizard!"

"Oh, don't be so whiny," Bill huffed. "It's not that bad!"

"Besides, don't you know anything about dorky, nerdy games," Deadpool called out. "The moment you do something actually intelligent to make your life easier, the game becomes impossible. Forge ahead worthy adventurers!"

Darkstalker shut him up by punching his pouch. Revolver laid a hand on Juan shoulder and leaned in.

"Friend, this is all supposed to be a game, right? Tell me how it works," he whispered.

"It's a roleplaying game. Based on your class, level, stats, stuff, and everything else, you play a certain part in a quest. As you complete challenges in that quest, you gain experience and stuff, allowing you to go up levels," Juan explained. "You hope to gain enough so that you can in the end finish your quest and win the game."

"If that's the case, the take heart! I'll help you get those levels and items so that you can survive until we face Aizen, and then we'll kill him. I made sure to load up on everything we'll need to kill even a god." Revolver looked excited and pleased with himself.

Juan, too, lit up and said, "You'll have to tell me all about it!"

"In time, but right now, we have a group to follow, and levels for you to rise up to!"

Juan gave a stiff nod and followed. According to the sheet, he had a small pack with some basic adventuring stuff. The group hoped to push towards the mountains within a few days, so their provisions were light, and he only had a thin sleeping roll. At least he had that! Though, knowing Bill, there were probably some unpleasant surprises hidden that even the character sheet did not list.

As a level one, Juan could feel that his stamina had decreased. This world was actually making him weaker! He cursed Bill. He cursed the entire quest and predicament. After this was done, he didn't want to have anything else to do with Tscheapwhetzars and even Guardians. He just wanted some rest and a vacation!

It was a simple path they had to follow, and sure enough, an encounter lay just ahead of them. A group of six kobolds sat cooking a goat over measly fire. Having no weapons of his own, Juan stooped to pick up a rock. He threw it pathetically, but it didn't matter. Bill had killed the six enemy combatants with just snap of his fingers. Their heads had snapped back with a chorus of sickening crunches. Darkstalker leaned in and ate the roasting goat with quick snap. Juan had seen enough death by now that he didn't care as walked up to loot the bodies.

"The lion's share of the XP and coins go to me of course," Bill said happily.

Sure enough, Juan watched as only a few XP points went to him and he got two extra copper pieces. He made a noise in his throat, but at least he was able to pick up a shoddy scimitar.

 _Better than nothing_ , he told himself.

It was then that he realized that there was still something he could do. In D&D, fighting was not the only way one gained experience and got better as a character. Doing chores, practicing, and completing objectives all gave experience.

"Revolver, as we travel, can you help me learn to be a better fighter," he asked his creation hopefully.

"It's a short time before we get to the next world, but I'll do what I can," Revolver promised with a small smile.

Despite everything that Juan had done to the man as his creator and writer, taking away his family, his faith, and hope, he was still a good man. He liked that about writing the dark story he had. It made him feel safe to have revolver around, even if Bill had threatened to let it slip who Revolver's writer was.

As they continued on the path, they had three other encounters. Three orcs and a petty half-orc mage. Two riddle speaking centaurs. Finally, a dark fairy and four human slaves, held captive with a mind warping spell. In each instance, Bill swooped in and killed everyone, taking most of the prizes for himself. Huon and Revolver just let it slide. Darkstalker kept looking like he was chewing on his tongue, which Juan thought might be painful. Before the fairy encounter, he had spoken up and said that he sensed other minds. Juan wondered why he thought to divulge that information. It almost appeared as though the dragon wanted to contribute in some way. Or was he just making idle observations?

In any case, their previous encounters could not have prepared Juan for what happened when the path finally connected with a larger, proper road.

"There you have it everypony, I think we are about to start our first real encounter in this new, magical realm. Be on your guard," a voice declared happily.

Darkstalker's nostrils flared and he spat, "How did I not notice them coming?"

Bill cried out happily, "Now this is a surprise!"

"Why does looking at them hurt my eyes," Huon asked grouchily.

Juan just starred as he saw a group of ponies, and a small dragon led by a draconequus dressed in a bad knockoff of Legolas' outfit. Discord. Somehow, they had just run into a My Little Pony Dungeons and Dragons campaign…


	22. Part 4:2 - Too Big a Party

"I think I'm going to be sick," Darkstalker mumbled. "Their thoughts are just soooo…. Bubbly? Happy! It's nauseating!"

"Loook! Spike! Look! We found a talking dragon! Do you think he also came here with us?"

"Doubtful Pinkie, most dragons don't come up to Equestria, except for Ember" the little dragon with a beard said. "Unless you guys were also playing Ogres and Oubliettes?"

There was an awkward pause, And Ricardo was honestly left stunned by the strange sight before him. A small, bearded, purple dragon in shabby attire led the group. He was followed by a stubbly, red unicorn in black armor carrying a broadsword. Then there was a pink pony dressed like some Renaissance court jester, with another pony dressed in grey, tight fitting robe and a half mask. Then there was a… Something? The beast with long blonde hair was a mishmash of too many other creatures to make heads or tails of what the thing actually was.

Bill started laughing, "Oh my, this is rich! The Lord of Chaos is playing a nerd's game with characters from a little girls' television show!?"

"I'll have you know that we have plenty of adult viewers who love our stories and find great meaning in our stories," the pink pony happily objected.

"Uh, Pinkie Pie? Who are you referring to?"

"The author and some of the sorry saps who will read this," Deadpool called from the sack before getting punched again.

"Oh my! Is this the other Lord of Chaos that I've heard so much about on the fringes of known space and time? I must say, you look more like a chip than I would have thought you would," the monster cackled gleefully.

"I can't even be mad at you for that comment," Bill said, jumping into the air. "Your actions may a little more PG than I would go for, but together, you and I could do so much!"

Ricardo shared a look with Juan, who looked mortified and he stepped in shouting, "Whoa, whoa, hey all of you! Before anyone does any joining up with anyone, I want to know exactly who these cartoon characters are. They are clearly two dimensional."

"Are we looking at the same ponies," the robed one asked.

"Dash, we need to talk this over," the dragon said.

"Yup," the burly unicorn said.

The little dragon tuned to his blonde companion and asked, "Discord, do you know these people?"

"Not a clue. I have only heard rumors of him," the monster aptly named Discord replied, pointing to Bill.

"Then new friends it is," the diminutive dragon said, holding out his claw.

The Villainous Vigilantes for the most part just gapped back at them until Darkstalker broke the silence. "They are hoping that we can tell them where they are. They are lost."

Revolver turned to look at the massive dragon frowning a little. He could tell there was something going on in his head, but the lizard remained largely unreadable to him. He then looked to Juan, who was brave enough to step forward and speak with them.

"My name is Juan. We are right now journeying to find a man who betrayed us," Juan explained. "And right now, you are in a world that is basically patterned off of Dungeons and Dragons, which would probably be my world's version of your Ogres and Oubliettes. My name is Juan, and the floating Dorito is Bill Cipher."

"Hey, watch who you're calling a chip, you bland avocado dip!"

"I'm warning you Cipher," Revolver growled.

"This guy here is Ricardo Revolver, but most people just call him Revolver. He's a demon hunter."

"A pleasure," Revolver said stiffly.

Juan continued and said, "The dragon is Darkstalker, and he has the ability to read your minds."

"And see the future as well as do all kinds of cool magic," Darkstalker said with a wink.

 _That_ got Ricardo's attention. _He must have figured something out! He changed his opinion really quick, that or he is posturing himself. I always forget his precognition. He almost never uses it for our own benefit. At times I wonder if it is all an act, or if he can't control it. What are you up to Darkstalker?_

"That is super cool! Show us something!" the robed pony said, who started flying with wings.

 _A pegasus?_

"With pleasure," Darkstalker said, magicking some pebbles to float into the air. They then transformed into throwing knives. "For you, speedy assassin."

"Wow! He can read minds! He knows what you class is," Pinkie Pie gasped.

"You really shouldn't be too impressed," Revolver growled again.

"And the voice you heard from his pouch is Deadpool," Juan said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm sure we'll have some good ol' times when I get out of this!"

"How can just a head have a good time," Bill asked. "I mean, I am sure I can find some fun to do with you!"

"Now that just sounds kinky! Watch out, we have kids' characters here after all," Deadpool said.

Juan ignored the exchange and concluded with, "And the last guy in our band is Huon, the man with the nails through his eyes."

"They're spikes," Huon spat in his grinding voice. "And if we are done with the pleasantries, then we should get going! We cannot afford to waste time! Aizen will catch wind of us before long!"

Revolver almost laughed when the small dragon continued as though he had not heard the Steel Inquisitor. There was something about these sudden cartoon characters that really threw off the whole dark feel that had been hanging over him and the group for so long. He instantly knew they were naïve and foolish, but now that they were talking, he wanted to hear a little bit more. Even though he knew Huon was right to urge them onward.

"My name is Spike, but in this place you can call me Garbunkle. The big guy there is Big Mac, but in the game we call him Sir McBiggun. And you have heard Discord's name already."

"Captain Wuzz, at you service," Discord said with an elaborate bow that made him twist into a bow.

Revolver instantly knew that he and Bill were kindred spirits and hated beast on principal.

Spike continued, "Pinkie Pie is our excited one over there juggling, and the assassin is Rainbow Dash. Er… We never established aliases for you, did we? You just kind of jumped into the game."

"Because it looked awesome," Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "Or at least it was until we got stuck in this…"

"What happened," Juan asked.

"Ah, I'm not sure you want an answer to that," Bill said sagely. "Once you ask them for their origins story they'll stick on you like flies to a corpse!"

Juan frowned and said resolutely, "But I want to know."

"Oh, it's rather easy," Discord said, puffing into place right next to Juan. With a wave of his claw, overly exaggerated, moving images of the newcomers appeared before them. "You see, we were playing a game of Ogres and Oubliettes, which we normally do by me transporting us all into a parallel dimension for the game. But this last time we did so, we got stuck inside and we have been trying to play our way out. A dastardly plan had been put into place by the evil Squizzard at the word of his evil, new counselor.

"Well, we fought the Squizzard, but that didn't free us. Instead, we learned who the real villain is behind the whole ordeal and followed him through a cave, which brought us here. And now we must find him and defeat him before we can go back!"

"We've been playing for days," Rainbow Dash said exasperatedly and dramatically. "And this is the last straw! Especially because we've totally lost the guy here! And Discord's magic keeps getting blocked beyond his usual weirdness."

"Yes, I would be quite lost with myself if I could not do at least that," Discord said, affronted.

"So, as you can easily guess," Pinkie Pie said, dancing up to them. "We are super duper lost, and have no idea where, what or why! We just know that this is what has to be done!"

"What," Huon asked harshly.

"Exactly," Pinkie Pie said, nodding her head fervently. "What exactly!"

Spike stepped in and clarified, "As we've been playing through, whenever we defeat some oubliette or challenge, A version of Discord appears in the sky and reads to us what needs to be done next."

"A version of him," Revolver asked in disbelief.

"This is getting us nowhere! We must make haste," Huon said angrily.

"Hey, easy there buddy! You have some epic revenge quest you're on and we are trying to get back home. Everyone is on edge, but that is no reason to get snappy with us," Rainbow Dash snapped back.

"I could easily kill you," Huon sneered.

"I'd like to see you try," the pegasus said coldly.

"I think we should work together," Darkstalker said, cutting in. "I think it will be beneficial to all of us. We have been short on allies after all, and I think this will be good."

"How do you know that," Juan asked, perplexed.

"Because I have foreseen it," the dragon said smugly.

"Really," Spike asked with wonder. "What did you see?"

"The counselor that you are hunting for is an enemy of ours as well, though indirectly," the dragon said, soothingly. "He is what we would call a Shadow. A creature that serves the Abominations."

 _Damn! That is a dangerous coincidence if that is true. If it is even chance_ , Ricardo thought quickly. Just to be sure, he asked, "Darkstalker, are you entirely certain of your vision."

"Of course," the dragon said, sounding insulted. "We are heading in the same direction. You see those mountains over there? Within in them is a ravine that will take us to yet another world, that of the game Talisman. Once we are there, there is a gate that will take us towards an inner world. That gate is guarded by a giant knight statue. It has been corrupted by the Shadow and waits to receive us. Huon is right, we need to hurry, or we might find ourselves caught between an army of Abominations and Aizen."

"Woo-wee! That sounds scary! But we have a plan right?"

"You're going to trust me just like that," Darkstalker suddenly asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, you are a good dragon. I can just tell," Pinkie Pie said, bouncing on her hooves.

Revolver snorted. They were too naïve.

"Well some help would be nice," he began.

"But it will mean splitting up the rewards and the experience between more people," Bill reminded them.

"You already take more than your fair share," Huon snarled. "We just need to get going!"

"I could make it there in ten seconds flat," Rainbow Dash bragged.

"Prove it," Bill challenged.

"You got it," the pony smirked visibly under her half mask. "Hang onto something!"

"I've had enough," Huon snarled and began walking forward.

Rainbow Dash sped on in blur, leaving behind a faint rainbow. The force of her exit was so great, ti knocked everyone other than Darkstalker back. Huon became heavier to steady himself while everyone else stumbled back or fell. Revolver could now tell her namesake. He was stunned. They watched as the rainbow raced at a mad speed for the mountains, turned around, and came hurdling back.

"Isn't she awesome," Pinkie Pie squealed.

"Yup," Big Mac said. He was obviously not one of many words.

Bill had brought out a bizarre pocket watch and clocked Rainbow dash's time. When she returned, it looked like she hadn't even broken a sweat.

"What'd I tell ya?"

"Nah, I didn't hit the button until you were already gone. Easily twelve seconds or more," Bill teased.

"I don't trust clocks from chaos creatures anyway," Rainbow Dash said smugly. "There was a big ravine up ahead, and there are also a lot of ogres and trolls, along with other things I didn't recognize."

"Excellent, then we can kill some more!"

The newcomers gave Bill an uncomfortable look and finally Spike said, "Maybe defeat would be a better way of putting it."

"Yeah, whatever. Lame! Come on Discord, I can help you regain your powers in this place. What do you say? Want in on some of the fun!?"

Discord mulled it over, and Revolver got a bad feeling about what the beast would say next. It stroked its goat beard and pondered. Finally, Discord answered.

"So long as we get back to Ponyville and our friends, I will agree to that."

"How far you've fallen." Bill said in a disappointed voice. "Fine then! We'll join up! But I expect you guys to bring some fire to this team! We're out to kill a god anyway!"

And just like that, the party nearly doubled in size. Revolver felt that things were getting a little too crowded, but having these other, nicer beings, despite Discord's presence, was good. Especially for Juan. The boy started talking more, getting a a chance to visit with the ponies and their friends. It did his heart good to see the boy not as much abused as he normally was.

Bill scoffed at them and called Juan a brony, which got him blushing. The demon didn't elaborate on the insult. But Revolver thought he could tell that it was pretty condescending.

 _Just you wait, Bill Cipher. I'm going to put a bullet right through your eye and kill you once and for all!_

With the fresh help, they cleared their way through the forest quickly. They learned that Rainbow Dash was so fast the air traps could not catch her. As Pinkie Pie and Deadpool pointed out, it was very convenient. But Ricardo was not complaining. With her scouting and stealth, they avoided or defeated traps much more easily. They were making good time. He figured that within a day, they would reach their destination.

"Does anyone else feel like this is an anticlimactic way to end a chapter," Pinkie Pie asked.


	23. Part 4:3 - the Magic of Friendship

The Villainous Vigilantes and the Ogres and Oubliettes party made great headway. They reached the ravine in quick order and passed through the other side. There, they found themselves in the world of Talisman. Honestly, there wasn't much of a difference between the two. Bill complained about how nerds could never really move beyond the whole medieval (whatever that was) setting and tropes. Even when they tried to move beyond them, they still relied on them too much. He said Talisman was just lazily giving into all of that.

Whatever the little dream demon meant by it, Darkstalker did find the challenges in the world of Talisman a little more, well, challenging. They had fought giants, some shades, pesky dwarves, and spearheaded horses called unicorns. They slew these creatures with impunity, much to the disgust of the OnO group. Darkstalker thought they were doing pretty well, though.

In the process of battling their way through the world, one of the unicorns had become what Juan identified as a familiar, a beast loyal to them. They had also a gained a fairy companion, who might as well have been a speck of speaking dust to Darkstalker. Juan and Bill explained that the game of Talisman revolved a race around a magical crown that empowered the wearer to kill everyone with a thought. To get to the crown, adventurers had to travel through three "worlds" of increasingly difficulty in order to obtain it. Aizen was most likely sitting with the crown.

Darkstalker had given them all special protection from the crown with little coins they could carry. Revolver had been very clear that no other spell was supposed to go into the coin. He wondered if any of them could tell the difference besides Bill. He decided it was best to keep his tricks to himself until they were needed to steal the Quill.

In order to advance through the worlds, they had to cross at special bridges over a great and magically protected river. No simple flying over it. That made both him and Rainbow Dash upset. Discord tried breaking the spell, but it didn't work. Bill said that he wanted the monster to hold off until they got further in. Darkstalker saw the strategy well. He wanted to hold off on the pure chaos the two could supposedly unleash until it was time to face off with Aizen.

 _We'll need everything in our arsenal to beat him… Going back through what records we have on him, he is way too powerful! And he now has the Quill! I wonder if he has anything in mind with the crown, too? My spell should protect us, but with the Quill anything could be possible._

A very nasty thought.

Before the end of the day, they had found one of the crossing, the Sentinel's Bridge. The Sentinel was a towering statue of a knight. Indeed, it might as well have been the size of a mountain! It was enchanted to come to life whenever someone desired to cross. You have to prove yourself worthy or slay it in order to cross. Both teams decided it was for the best to rest up and attack early in the morning. Bill had told them that once they crossed it would be a quick trip to the inner world where they should find Aizen and Quill.

That was good for Darkstalker. It would give him a chance to speak with this strange group that now tagged along with them. He had some pressing matters he needed to discuss with them.

As the sun sank to the horizon, Darkstalker sat in the clearing with the ponies and their little dragon and mishmash friend. The Sentinel towered in the distance, casting a very long shadow in the growing darkness. The dragon felt that it was intentionally that big to cast a shadow of doubt on anyone who dared tread further into the world of the Talisman. Beyond waited Aizen, a killing crown, and the Quill of Inspiration. The tool he needed. His salvation.

However… That was not entirely correct.

Ever since he had first met this weird group, these cartoons in the flesh, there was a strange vision that was tickling at him. What he wouldn't give to have Clearsight at his side right now! He needed someone with a clearer vision than him. He had hidden some Atium on his person and he used a small bead to enhance his sight. The very near future burned with wondrous clarity, and all of its possibilities. But nothing illuminated further that haunting scene.

 _Why would I hesitate to use the Quill? It is the key to rebuilding my perfect world! I can get Clearsight back! I can make my problems with Fathom as though they never existed! I can have Moon and the others as my friends. Scales, I would even fix my dad if that's what it took to get my perfect ending! Why then, does this image of me hesitating bother me so much? Am I not right to use it?_

He cast an eye over the group. In the flash of images that made up the future, these creatures played a role. And furthermore, their meeting is what triggered these newest visions. It was a plague on his mind that needed to be eradicated.

 _Ugh! These beings have such… naive, lovey, overbearing thoughts_ , he groused. _It's so hard blocking them out of my own mind. Especially that pink one!_

"Hey there Darkstalker, if you wanted to talk, then that's what you have to do! Not poke around in the old noodle! Ha! Have you ever wondered why they call it a noodle? I know I have! Why don't we call it something sweeter like a cake?"

Darkstalker had no idea how to respond to that. "Uhh… We were talking about… A noodle?"

"The brain," Rainbow Dash said with a snort. "Pinkie, is being well, Pinkie Pie. You just have to try and keep up."

"And sometimes, you just have to go along for the ride," Discord muttered.

"Yup," Big Mac agreed.

Darkstalker could tell from their thoughts that he just needed to agree and plow ahead with what he needed to discuss with them. That was the only way to resolve this.

"I'll get this out of the way so that there is no funny business," he hissed. "I can read the minds of others."

"In addition to casting spells? My, that is marvelous ability," Discord said. "I wish I had that!"

"Yeah, no thanks," Spike grumbled. "You cause enough havoc as it is on a good day."

"It's all in the name," Discord replied sweetly.

Darkstalker cleared his throat and rumbled, "Look, I have seen into your thoughts and it is clear that you have friendship on the brain. Like, a lot! And though I find it kind of nauseating, I have to ask you guys some questions."

"Why would you find friendship nauseating," Rainbow Dash asked. "It's a pretty awesome thing if you ask me. That is kinda what brought us all together, and how we are making it through this adventure together."

He saw into her mind and saw that she spoke the truth. At least what she took to be the truth. He would have dismissed her comment simply out of hand if he had not met Moon since waking up from the forced sleep Clearsight and Fathom put on him. And he knew how alone he had been. Though he disliked and mistrusted most of them, the Vigilantes had been welcomed company if anything so he didn't have to wallow in the constant, quiet darkness.

Waving aunconcerned claw, he said, "Yes, yes, I get that. And it's this friendship thing that I have some questions about."

"Well, if it's questions you have about friendship, then you could not have found a better group of people," Spike said happily.

"Yup," Big Mac said.

"Except for maybe Twilight, but that is kind of a difficult matter at the moment," Spike added, somewhat hesitantly.

Darkstalker caught a glimpse of a magical book and a spell that was trapping this group on this quest. They were playing it through in hopes of breaking the bonds that held them to their game. Twilight was yet another pony. One the others all looked up to. Even the crazy Discord. Though his thoughts quickly drifted to yet another pony called Flutterhsy.

 _Who names these beasts?!_

"Yeah, we all have funny names, but they fit out cutie marks and personalities just right," Pinkie Pie burst out happily. Once again, it was if she knew what was going on in his mind. That unsettled him. "Twilight for the element of magic in Friendship! Rainbow Dash is super, duper fast as you've seen, and she is all about loyalty!"

"That's right," the other pony smirked through her cloth mask.

"Rarity for selflessness. Fluttershy for kindness. Applejack for honesty. And then me! That's Pinkie Pie, for laughter!"

Reading her thoughts, even all over the place as they were, Darkstalker saw something called the Elements of Harmony. These ponies were all connected to it, and through it they wielded the magical power of friendship. It sounded absolutely ridiculous to him. Absurd! Did they know nothing of betrayal? Did they not know what it was like to be left alone? To be heated from thousands of years! And he had done nothing wrong!

Well, okay, maybe murdering his dad in front of the entire NightWing kingdom had been over the top, but he deserved it!

"Funny names aside, I sense that you all stand for this friendship thing, and what about these other three?"

Spike answered and said, "Well, we are all friends. We've come together because we wanted to get to know one another better. Because we share common interests. Because we don't want to be alone. Because we've grown to like each other. Once we hated Discord, but we've even grown to tolerate him."

"Ha! More than tolerate! Without me, you guys would never know the true meaning of fun," Discord teased, levitating Spike and spinning him.

The mismatched creature was a lot like Bill, but the deceit and malice was missing. He was a different kind of chaos. One that was more… benevolent? Friendly? Well meaning? That made no sense. But then again, ever since being brought back from a fate worse than death by the Tscheapwhetzar, nothing made much sense anymore. Another reason why he needed that Quill!

"Wingless Dragon, er, I mean Spike."

"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to point out that I don't have wings," Spike said sullenly, still being twirled about, his beard flopping all over.

"How did you, as a dragon, come to join this group? I mean really. I see it in your minds how you defeated and then befriended Discord, but what about you? We dragons are above all others," he said hotly.

He needed to know. There was something now really nagging at the back of his mind. Like a bad itch. A dam about to burst. What Spike had said about friendship immediately reminded him of all the dear ones he had lost over the millennia. True, there had been his mom at the end, when Moon betrayed him. But was that really enough? He had lost Clearsight. Had lost his future. What made him who he was.

"Twilight hatched me out of an egg," Spike answered. "I've been her assistant since then. We became close friends over the years, and I got to meet everyone else in Ponyville and then beyond. It hasn't always been easy, but well, we work everything out. I'm sorry if I'm not making much sense…"

"Nope," Big Mac said.

Discord stepped in. "If I may interject a little here. I think I see the problem here. It's written all over your forlorn snout."

"What is," Darkstalker snarled.

"Woah! No need to get all snappy," Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Quite alright," Discord said off handedly. "I understand not everyone likes being read like a book."

As he spoke, Spike stopped rotating and landed gently on the darkening grass. The sun was almost gone.

"My dear friend, you are worried about what you actions have done to someone else, and you are too proud to admit it. Why else bring up your status as a dragon to Spike? You don't want to admit you're wrong, but you also want to retain your friendship."

Darkstalker opened his mouth and then closed it again, pausing. He finally grumbled resentfully, "How very perceptive of you."

"I know! It is a wonderful, yet terrible gift!"

"Yup!"

Without warning, the dam burst. Why? Darkstalker could not be sure. Maybe it was the weight of so many countless years of avoiding what had happened. Maybe it was this journey. Maybe it was the thoughts and memories he glimpsed from this bizarre group reminding him of better days. He could not hold the words back once they poured forth.

"But it all broke apart! We were, still are, soulmates! And fathom was my best fiend! And then there was Moon, too! Why did they all betray me in the end? Not even Qibli would help me! If only they could have seen reason! If only they could have seen how much I cared! I did everything I did for them!"

He found himself sobbing and cradled his head. He started telling them. He told them about his powers, and knowing about himself and Clearsight. Fathom coming to the palace to teach him how to use his powers. Their friendship. And how it broke apart. Suddenly, he felt something warm and comforting stroking his elbow. He looked down to see Pinkie Pie.

"Darkstalker, I hate to break it to you, but you were the one at fault here. It doesn't sound like the kind of happy, healthy relationship any pony would want to have!"

Before he could retort, Rainbow dash spoke up. "Yeah! You were not thinking about them, but instead, you only thought of yourself. You did not have any real loyalty to them."

"But how could they not see that I was doing everything for hem!?"

"Was it though," the pegasus asked simply, cocking an eyebrow.

Darkstalker choked on his words, and had no real reply. Deep down, he knew he had been selfish. But he had thought so far ahead! His powers had given him that insight, and that ability to make everything right. It was now Discord's turn to say something as if he had read his mind.

"Darkstalker, all of the power in the world. All the power across all dimensions means nothing if you cannot be there for the ones you cherish. They wanted you, not your powers. You are more than that. So much more."

"And he would know after he tracked powerlessly across a deserted landscape to save Flutershy," Rainbow Dash smirked.

"Yes, yes. I admit it," Discord said, dramatically. "But I mean it!"

"You need to fill your time with those friends with laughter, happiness, enjoying the moment, and giving to them, not planning for their futures. Don't be a dumb, but think about them first! Spend quality time with them!"

"Oh, please don't break out into a song," Darkstalker muttered, wiping a tear away.

"Well, song or no song, Darkstalker, you need to be a better friend. You need to think about them. Though, I guess that moment is past," Spike said sadly. "But that is why you can start now. We'll be your friends! You can turn over a new leaf tonight!"

"Yup!"

"Hey, why not be friends with another dragon? And one with rad powers like yours," Rainbow Dash agreed with a fierce smile.

"That would be tooooons of fuuuuuun," Pinkie squealed. "After this whole Quill, crown, revenge, quest business is over, we can introduce you to everypony at Ponyville and you can make even more friends! I know Twilight would love to get a chance to pick your brain, too. Or noodle! Cake, whatever!"

As she laughed, Darkstalker found himself saying, "Yeah, I bet she would. Might not be bad."

He then shook his head and got up to move. What had he been thinking? He had revealed too much of himself right then. But their words. Their thoughts. The warmth they brought him. It reminded him so much of Clearsight.

But that alone will not bring her back!

"Please excuse me," he said, dipping his neck a little. "Thank you for answering my questions, but I have other things I need to do. Maybe we'll talk later."

And with that, he hurried off.

Once there was considerable difference between him and the ponies, he heard Deadpool speak from the satchel. "Friend, that might just be the best advice anyone is going to get around here. If I were you, I'd listen. Out of all of us, you have the best shot of getting what you want. Except for me of course! I always get what I want!"

Darkstalker read his mind and recoiled at the images he saw there.

"You are a disgusting creature, Deadpool."

"I know. But you could still end up with a worse friend, am I right? One who would sing when you don't want it?"

Despite himself, Darkstalker smiled and thought about it. "Yes. I guess you are right."

"Of course I am!"

But Darkstalker didn't respond further. He hated that he revealed so much about himself. He hated that they would suggest that he could not get Clearsight back. But then again, something about their words touched him. He thought again of his vision. The hesitation.

 _I will make it all right when I get my claws on that Quill! This time, I'll make sure our friendships work out. I'll be more loyal and considerate! All I need is that power to give me that chance!_


	24. Part 4:4 - Gate Crashers

The morning burned with battle. Bill was not really happy with the idea of having to fight alongside _ponies_. There was something incredibly undignified about it. And Discord was not acting like the agent of chaos that he sounded, nor like what Bill felt residing in him, nor what he had found on the Tscheapwhetzar's tablet. What he had discovered disturbed him.

 _Making friends with_ ponies _!? It's like grown men obsessing over a girl's show in order to confirm their masculinity. Absurd and unnecessary!_

The demon floated over the site of the battle and saw Rainbow Dash trying to topple the giant Watcher with her incredible speed and incredible kicks. However, the behemoth of stone refused to go down easily. The Watcher was a gigantic knight of living stone. Behind its visor, there was something powerful watching the Vigilantes. They had agreed to let the ponies and friends tackle the problem first, because they didn't want to display their powers too openly before Aizen, but Bill was getting bored. And impatient.

"Come on! If this is your best, I don't think deserve to make it back to your land of little funshine and giggles! This is absolutely pathetic," Bill raged as a spell from Spike the Stupid glanced harmlessly off the stone warden.

Discord had fully fallen into his game persona of Captain Wuz, and was firing arrows in a hailstorm at the Watcher. The magic within it continued to protect it from assault. Pinkie Pie played music, emboldening her teammates. The short on words, scruffy unicorn was the only one doing really damage to it, and that was with small nicks here and there! Infuriating!

"When mortals play a game like this on a game board, they can just imagine that it works all nice and magically as if with the roll of a die," Bill muttered as he watched a head of Discord's appear in cartoonish clouds overhead and roll a twenty-sided die. "At least people from gravity Falls know to roll as a 38 sided one!"

"Thirty-eighty different sides you say," Rainbow Dash asked, appearing next to him. "That sounds like we might get more out of it! Captain Wuz, I mean Discord! Roll a dice with thirty-eight sides to it!"

"But that goes completely against the mechanics of the game," Spike protested.

"Yes, but it will be awesome to give ourselves a power boost," Dash called back.

She and Bill both moved to avoid the poleaxe from the Watcher. The lumbering unicorn went in for another swing and this time Discord coughed up a larger die. Bill zapped it with his powers, causing it to land exactly on a 38 and stay there. The pony smashed his broadsword into the Watcher's ankle and shattered it.

As cries of triumph went up from the group the Watcher turned to face Bill. It leveled the poleaxe coolly at the demon and spoke its first words.

"You have disrespected the rules of our combat. For that, you will pay! I cannot harm you physically, but this is not like my usual game where only strength is required! With the power of my sentience, I can assault you directly!"

"Give me a break! This hunk of stone thinks it can really take me on? And what kind of a lame speech was that?"

"One that was contrived when the author was really tired," Deadpool called out. "You realize that that lazy ass was going to finish up the entire story sometime early during a break, but as usual he put it off for the longest of time, almost missing his deadline, and (pause for deep breath) and then he scrambled with the first idea that popped into his head!"

"Darkstalker, give him a good punch and knock him out! Or for once, eat him," Bill seethed.

The sound of Deadpool getting walloped could even be heard from how high up Bill was. He laughed at the glorious sound of the Merc with a Mouth getting his much-deserved beating. It would have pleased him more to just kill him outright, but the dragon was protective of his little punching bag.

The watcher spoke again, "We will now duel on the field of our minds. Prepare yourself, Bill Cipher!"

"My reputation proceeds me," Bill cackled, before he felt himself getting pulled into the living statue. "Woah! Hey, what? No, no, no, no, this is NOT OKAY! Release me you lumbering piece of sandstone!"

But it was useless. Bill was dragged directly into the Watcher. Everything went black for a moment, and when Bill came to, He was sitting a chess board. Out of the corners of his eye, he could still see what was going on around him. Or rather, what was going on around the Watcher. By being inside the stone soldier, he was sharing its vision.

A gallant looking knight clad in chain mail, bright white clothing, and with a long, waxed mustache appeared on the other side of the board. The pieces fell into place. Bill observed that he was set as the black opponent. The knight stared imperiously down his nose at Bill and scoffed.

"Not so powerful when you are taken out of your element are you?"

"Look at you, already getting cocky, and the game hasn't even begun yet," Bill chuckled.

"Inside my mind, I reign supreme! There is nothing that can pierce my mental fortitudes," the knight said crossly. "You will find yourself at a gross disadvantage here! Once I defeat you here, your life will be forfeit."

"And if I win?"

"Then I will release you to your cheating ways," the man sniffed.

Bill thought it might just be the right time to put the powers of his ring to good use and test them out on this sentient rock. He tapped the board lightly with one finger and activated his ring. He felt its power working and started laughing.

"I have a much better idea, how about we up the stakes? As I take away pieces from you, I get to control your body, and as you take pieces from me, I give you some insight on how you can kill those little adventurers?"

"I would never take advice from a monster such as yourself," the knight spat.

"Suit yourself. You should have taken the deal, because as we play this game, I am going to destroy you," Bill hooted. "Make your first move rubble-to-be!"

The knight advanced his king's pawn, a strong opening move take the center of the board and allow for two of the most powerful pieces to take the flanks. But Bill played these kinds of cosmic strategy games all the time. And what was more, his all-seeing eye was a definite game changer. He could not see the future like Darkstalker could, but with his powers of perception, he could see far enough that it was basically prophesy when he spoke of things to come. He could move all kinds of pawns in his games with mere thoughts and suggestions. This knight had brought him into his mind, and that was the beginning of the end.

Bill opened with a knight pawn. He was going to work slowly, and bring the knight's attackers deep into well laid traps. He would have corridors set between the pieces, sacrifices would have to be made. But Bill was meticulous with his advance. Blood would be spilled on his conditions. After a number of rounds, and more of the same attacks as before outside, the Watcher finally made his first true move. As Bill lost a pawn, something odd happened.

He smelled fire, the burning of a mind, and he heard an aweful scream. His own. "Axolotl, my time has come to burn! I invoke the ancient power that I may return!"

Above them both, Bill witnessed his demise at the hands of Stanford and Stanley Pines. He was erased from memory. Defeated, but a powerful spell had been enacted. One that was interrupted when the Tscheapwhetzar had come to retrieve him from Gravity falls, and had then sent him on his first mission into the world of Supernatural. What a crazy adventure that had been. And then had lost pocket dimensions as a result!

The worlds that existed between Stars had been consumed by the Abominations when they had used Star Blood taken from the Guardians and used to erase the natural irregularities within the Realms. It had been a tipping point in the war that was swift, unexpected, and leveled the playing field between both parties. And as they were showing in the Tumblrverse, a level playing field was an advantage to the Abominations.

But the vision was done yet. The great Axolotl, Bill's ancient nemesis, appeared before him, flipping a coin to Dipper and speaking the rhyme,

 _If he wants to shirk the blame,  
He'll have to invoke my name.  
One way to absolve his crime.  
A different form, a different time._

Bill hated himself in that moment, because he started feeling emotional. How dare that know it all bring up that moment in his life! Both of them! Had he not vowed to put that behind him as he consumed other dimensions? And he had given himself over to that being for redemption. How pathetic! How he hated the Pines for that! But the Tscheapwhetzar had given him another way…

But how would things have been had the spell played out its fullest course? That was secretly another reason why he wanted to get his Originator, Alex Hirsch.

"My, my! I didn't know even demons could cry," the Watcher laughed.

"Cry about this," Bill screamed as he retaliated.

He took the offending pawn who taken his first. With that, he felt a little in control of the Watcher's body. He purposefully tripped the Watcher. He toppled face first into the ground. Rainbow dash leaped onto his head and started jumping rapidly, beating him deeper into the earth.

"What have you done!?"

"Payback," Bill answered smugly.

The knight was shocked and enraged. He started playin sloppily, letting Bill have his way with him. As Bill's pieces were captured he was forced to watch other things. He saw his home dimension burn. He saw his bitter rivals. He felt his loss of friends. He watched a world dye ate hands of a young man wrapped in shadow. A sea of blood rise to meet the stars. A glowing eye of violet star into his very soul. For a brief moment, he felt he could see the end of all thigs. He then saw the Pines together and laughing, in the ruins of the Mystery Shack.

The final image was enough for him. Bill was merciless to the knight. With each piece he captured from the Watcher, he got another chance to control him. The greater the piece's value he took, the more control he got over the stone body. He snapped the poleaxe and drove it into the Watcher's stomach after taking the queen. With a bishop, he kneecapped the Watcher.

Thankfully, the Vigilantes picked up on his maiming strategy and jumped in to help. At least Darkstalker did. Using his Aimus magic and fire breath, he opened larger fissures in the Watcher. Discord, Spike, and Rainbow Dash all aimed for these and widened them. The vibration from Pinkie's music also had a magical effect on the Watcher, breaking him down even more, as the burly unicorn continued to break the stone feet.

"This is impossible," the knight sputtered.

"No, it was highly probably," Bill said cheerily as the Watcher finally gave way under its own weight and fell into the river.

The game was knocked over and pieces flew everywhere. The rules were broken, and this is where Bill reigned supreme. A flaming, blue sword appeared in his hands and he poised it over the Watcher.

"So, that's how it's going to be," he asked.

Bill replied, "You asked for this the moment you invited me into your mind and tried to kill me. This is what I am capable of when I am unleashed! And once I get free of you, I will go on to heights you could never have dreamed of!"

"Then beware of the fall you will experience," the knight said savagely.

"What? Like you? Oh please," Bill said as proceeded to casually stab the man through the face.

The Watcher howled with pain, but was soon consumed with the fire, and burned to nothingness. Bill felt himself pulled out of the stone body and back to good old reality. Well, Tumblrverse's version of it, anyway. The blue sword was gone, but Watcher was indeed defeated.

"Alright, everybody, we've wasted enough time here! Let's keep going! It's not far to the gates that will lead to the inner world and where Aizen is waiting!"

Massive amounts of loot appeared on the bridge as they crossed. Though Bill rightfully deserved the lion's share, those thrice cursed ponies and their friendship ways demanded that treasure be split evenly between everyone. Bill seethed as everyone's character sheets updated with all the new items. The mere thought that a noob like Juan could now be anything above level one was unacceptable!

"Come on," Bill pressed. "It's time we got going!"

The sooner I get my hands on the Quill, the sooner I can get rid of these losers and free myself at last! Pines and Hirschy-boy, get ready for my coming! Hahaha!


	25. Part 4:5 - Bending the Iron Will

Huon sat on the steps before the great iron door that led into the inner world of Talisman. He could not stand to look at it. The metal was blinding to his spiked eyes. But what was more was the power held within that door. It was alive like a soul. Back on Scadrial, metal and souls and metal had similar vibes to them when an Inquisitor looked at them. The Steel Inquisition was so proficient at tracing skaa Mistings not just because they could pierce Copperclouds with their use of Bronze (at least the very skilled ones could), but with the sight granted to them through their new eyes, they could see the intricacies of each individual soul. It was hard to escape someone who could track people with that level of detail.

 _Souls… Metal. The makeup of my universe._

Huon wasn't entirely sure why he thoughts about it, but there was something profound about sitting before this door that evoked strange thoughts. Bill had said that this door was meant to test the worthy, but they were going to just break through. He and Discord were preparing a special dice roll that would allow them to trump the door for everyone. With the powers those two and a dragon were supposed to have, he wondered why they were even waiting at the door in the first place!

 _Souls and metal. What makes the universe, and what makes a person. Metals can be smelted into a new shape and new alloy. Can the same be said of a soul?_

An Inquisitor, let alone an Executioner, was never meant to wax philosophical. The doctrines of the church were forward and simple. That was a crucial element to holding intellectual control over the skaa and nobility. Simple answers and questions were harder to twist into something more complicated, and if one did, they would easily be labelled as a heretic and take a hook through the throat.

But the answer was, simply, yes.

 _I have been smelted throughout this journey. Against my entire will, something has changed. I wasn't supposed to be here! No one was supposed to know of my existence beyond my brothers and the Lord Ruler! And yet the Tscheapwhetzar found me and took me. And here I am, asking myself pointless questions._

But it wasn't pointless, something had changed within him. The moment he had begun to learn who the Lord Ruler really was, and that the dogma that he had followed was completely false. That was the kind of thing that shattered one's faith. It had given him the idea to take a hold of the Quill of Inspiration and use it to instate what he had always believed. Why go against the rule of the Lord Ruler? It was a perfect state! And yet, walking through the Tumblrverse, flying through all of these stupidly impossible places had left Huon with a different feeling in his gut.

 _I have changed. Or at least my desires and goals have. Imposing the world of the Lord Ruler on everything wouldn't work, as much I hate to admit it. What do I want then?_

 _I want… I want to go back to the way things were before. I was bred and made to fight, execute, and then die for my master. That is a simpler way of thinking. Of living. That way I know better who I am and what my relationship to others and the world is. Being with these men has challenged all of it!_

Huon realized with horror, _I am my own man! It has been so long since I last thought about it!_

He jumped as Darkstalker settled in beside him. He chided himself for his thoughts. It was easy to forget at times that he had the ability to read minds. No power in Allomancy allowed for that! It was unnerving.

"I haven't been reading your thoughts," Darkstalker rumbled preemptively.

"Not that you would tell me if you did," Huon spat.

The dragon shrugged and answered, "Maybe. But your face, even with your crazy, passive eyes, is right now easy to read."

"Oh, really?"

"No reason to take offense at that," Darkstalker muttered. "I will be frank with you, Huon, I have been thinking things over a lot lately."

"Because you have been talking with those Lord Ruler forsaken ponies?"

Darkstalker chuckled, "Yes. Those naïve fools have said some things that have triggered some insight."

Huon decided to bite and asked, "What then?"

"We are supposed to be characters from different stories, even though to us we are beings from real worlds. It has made me think, if this all true that we come from stories, then we must be out of them by now. Should we change the stories that we come from? Or should we just go along with them? Or, maybe more importantly, should we do something else outside of them?"

"That sounds more like a riddle, or worse yet, a puzzle without all its pieces to me," Huon stated.

"Maybe, but these are questions we should have answers to before we face Aizen."

Huon did not like the sound of that. He realized that Darkstalker was right though, and tried not to visibly swallow his anxiety. How absurd that a Steel Inquisitor should be feeling anxious!

"Well Darkstalker, since you brought it up, what have you decided?"

"Like all of us," the dragon answered lazily. "I have chosen what is in my best interests. That is the best way to go about things at this point. The item we are all after holds considerable power for each one of us. Since we intend to go back on our word to the Tscheapwhetzar, that I something to keep in mind, because if any of us go against that, ti will cause the strife that will lead to our deaths."

"Now that sounded less convincing than what you said earlier," Huon mused.

"Really? I thought that sounded pretty good."

Huon shook his head. "No. Something is up with you. Have you seen a vision?"

"And here I thought I was the mind reader," the dragon replied with a wink. "I have, but it is not something that I think will bear itself out. The future is an interesting thing, because you can change it. Nothing, and I repeat nothing, is set in stone. It can all be changed."

 _Just like a man's soul._

"They're almost ready," Darkstalker pointed out. "So we should be ready to go in and fight. I hear tell that the inner world is nothing but bloodshed."

As the dragon got up, Huon also rose to his feet, but more slowly. He was still thinking. There was something that Darkstalker had seen in the future. He should keep close to the dragon. He had a Hemalugic spike in him, and that was always cause for wariness. Keeping close to him could afford him greater chances of staying alive against Aizen wielding the Quill. But there was still something nagging at him.

Long ago, before the spikes, before Ruin's touch, or this cursed trip through the Tumblrverse, Huon had been a man of faith. He knew that the system was not completely fair, but he felt it was perfect. He felt that if he devoted himself to the church he could do a lot of good. And as a naturally born Seeker, he was very well received into the Canton of Inquisition. And then everything changed.

 _That is what is missing. Where is my faith? That is why I want to go back. But what Darkstalker said, the story has already changed so much for me, and I know how it ends for my world. I think… I think it will be in this forge that my soul takes on its new form altogether. I cannot be sure of what it will look like, but here I must find answers. In violence and blood._

 _Fitting for an Inquisitor._

"Alright everybody, listen up," Bill whistled. "This is it! Discord and I have set up the dice perfectly for breaking through this next gate. Normally, we would measure each person's might against the power of the door."

 _Ah, now I see why it feels imbued with a soul_ , Huon thought.

"But with our new, magical dice, we can break though and then confront what is on the inside," Discord said happily.

"And once we are in, I think Aizen will confront us directly. Our powers are to great for the usual challenges within. They would only slow us down, but I do not think he'll rely on them, still," Bill explained.

"Why is that," Juan asked.

"Simpleton," Bill sighed. "Though Aizen loves working through others, a threat greater than his current minion is here! He'll probably rely on the Quill, but that is what we have prepared for! Our only concern is the Crown! He might have alterted it with the Quill."

"And that is where I come in," Darkstalker said happily. "I will block its influence throughout the battle with my Animus magic, and we'll have a more even battle with him."

"Hopefully," Huon growled.

"Alright! The suspense is killing me," Bill exclaimed.

"I'm not sure if I'm ready," Spike said, looking sick.

"Yup," Big Mac added.

"Discord, let the dice roll!"

A cloud appeared above, and Discord;s head popped out and opened up, letting a die roll off his tongue it crashed into the metal doors and showed the sign of a twenty, but there was something more to this number. It had power in it. Within a second, the doors crumbled like old paper being balled up. Soon they were no more.

Blast of hot hair hit Huon in the face, and with his powerful eyes he saw a hellish world and small mountain rose at the center. Atop it stood Aizen, in all his brilliant glory.

This is my forge. Where I will change forever into something else.

Huon wasn't sure to whom he should pray, but he sent out a small plea to the heavens that he might survive this and find an understanding of who he had become and what he was meant to do. Together, the Villainous Vigilantes walked into the inner world to confront their foe.


	26. Interlude 4

Ezekiel –

He had out the board game Talisman and was looking at it. From the other Shadows who had been working on various missions within the Tumblerverse, agents from the King, and different operations that now intersected with his, the Abomination knew clearly where the Vigilantes were now. With a little spell, he had easily turned the board game into a kind of looking mirror, and he was enjoying the scene unfolding before him as he contemplated his next move. He saw them outside the gates to the inner world. He saw Sosuke Aizen waiting for them with the Quill of Inspiration in hand. This was going to be a major battle.

Ezekiel quickly drew up the battle plans in his mind. He now had six Dreadnaughts at his command. Millions of troops assembled, and they even carried three Devoured worlds in their wake. He could drop more than enough forces onto Talisman to quench the entire world a dozen times over! A hundred!

But the Quill of Inspiration, a device that could allow the user to rewrite anything, was a formidable weapon. And it was in the hands of a brilliant character by Tite Kubo. Sosuke had never been truly defeated outright with strength. He would have to be outplayed. And this was where the Villainous Vigilantes came in.

 _I'll use them to start weakening his defenses and position_ , Ezekiel thought to himself. _Against the Quill, they don't stand much of a chance, but all I need is for them to be a distraction and take up some time. My forces will incur heavy loses against the Quill, but with my presence on the battlefield, I can hold the powers back just long enough to overwhelm Aizen. He may have an incredible intellect and formidable powers of his own, but I have an arsenal that he is not ready to deal with._

Ezekiel sent a message to the prisons deep within the Dreadnaught. It was not long before a small group of heroes, original characters, and some aliens were brought before him. Ezekiel knew that his current form would be insufficient to take down a Quill-empowered Sosuke Aizen, but with some buffs he could do it.

They people cried out in pain and horror as Ezekiel's bones ripped themselves from his bones and impaled each one of them. New flesh grew out of those bones and orange lightning with a tinge of black connected the Abomination with his victims. There was then odd warping that came over the prisoners. Their bodies blurred and undulated as they were pulled in Ezekiel. Using he bines and powers of the Accursed who made up his body, the Abomination was capable of many things that we considered to be impossible by most living.

He broke the rules that people clung to in order to give themselves stability.

The Accursed had been made to break the boundaries between creation and bring about destruction as could only be imagined in the minds and hearts of the most depraved. Life flowed into him and he chuckled at the sweet destruction he wrought. Connected with the prisoners, his victims, he could feel their terror intimately as they died. He could feel their souls leave their bodies. And in return they gave him something new. A new body.

Ezekiel liked his arachnid form, so he kept bursting his shoulders four extra limbs primed with poison, hidden fingers, and other little surprises that he knew would come in handy once the fighting began. His face also had multiple eyes, each one with its own perk to it. The rest of him was humanoid, but more black void than anything else. He conjured an open jacket like a robe and fitted it to his frame. Another neat device he had picked up in the Tumblrverse. This muddled nebula of thought was a gold mine for special trinkets!

One day, they would all belong to the King!

"Today is the day we slate this war permanently in our favor. Do well, and stay out of my way," Ezekial spat to a figure in the corner.

Priest –

As Ezekiel stalked off in his new form, Priest followed him with narrowed eyes. He had dressed himself for battle in black armor, rimmed with red plumage all over. A helmet in the likeness of a bird's skull cover his head, and a black cape slashed with red paint ran down his back. This was his ancient battle garb.

Or was that correct? Was it someone else's? No, he had just acquired it. A thousand years ago. No, that was a lie.

Priest found that it was harder to remember things these days. After failing miserably to catch the Villainous Vigilantes, and Ezekiel took back control, something had gone off in him. There was a mad desire to serve the King of Abominations. It was ingrained in his soul, but fel foreign. He knew he was an ancient being of immense power and importance, but that was more taint on his heart and being. He was a young man with a simple dream that had been torn from him, but he was a powerful leader in the Realms' greatest army!

Who was he? Why was he doubting now?

 _Ugh, everything has been so weird since the assault on the Towers_ , he thought. Something that no one here was to ever know about if he was going to survive until the appointed hour.

He had fled when a light burst from the sky and a voice spoke to him that he needed to flee if he was to live to serve his King. He needed to flee if he was ever going to see _her_ again.

 _Ah yes, that is right_ , Priest remembered. _I did this all for her._

He was not a coward, but a pragmatist. There was something very important afoot here. He had been assured by the voice in his head that if he ran then, he would rise to such prominence as was befitting a being like him. And he would have all that he desired. The next step was to acquire the Calamus of Canon, the Quill of Inspiration. Then everything would start falling into place.

 _That's right. I get the Quill, and then my dreams finally come true. There is a sexy redhead waiting for me. I have to do this to return to her._

The Dreadnaught headed for Talisman's inner sanctum, and to the end of the quest.


	27. Part 5:1 - Juan

The inner world was barren. They had not met anything to oppose them as the Vigilantes walked the path that lead to the slim mountain at the center. Huon had informed them all that he had seen Aizen blazing like a beacon from afar, but since then he had not moved. Juan was worried that Aizen had used his hypnotism to screw up Huon's perception, but the lack of enemies of enemies and obstacles felt like proof that such was not the case. However, this was Aizen, and he had bragged that with his sword he could make a fly become a dragon and a swamp a meadow of beautiful, alluring flowers.

The uneasiness of the whole situation was just too much! Juan had no idea what to think! Here he was, surrounded by villains and characters from My Little Pony walking brazenly into what was obviously a trap, and his freaking character sheet meant next to nothing! It didn't matter that he had magically leveled up to level eight! It didn't mean squat when confront Aizen, who was like Sephiroth mixed with a dozen mad scientists, and Shard Ruin! It would take a miracle to defeat him!

Ichigo had had not even beaten Aizen in the manga or show! He had only weakened him enough for a spell from Kisuke Urahara to take effect and bind him. And then Ywach had only defeated Aizen by pulling a dues ex machina out of his butt! Juan knew that Bill had some plans up his sleeve, and Darkstalker with his animus magic was a worthy opponent, and even Revolver had packed some special bullets for the occasion. But still… This was Sosuke Aizen! The same Aizen who could not be beaten in a fair, head-to-head fight!

Pulling out his tablet, he started writing a message to the Order. He was shaky, and so he made spelling mistakes, but he knew he had to be quick before he was-

"Juan, what are you doing," Darkstalker asked in a knowing tone.

"Wha-, oh! I was just… We've found the Quill! I decided to tell the Tscheapwhetzar," he began to say.

Bill rounded him, large, angry and red. "You idiot! You know we weren;t supposed to do anything like that!"

"Woa everyone! Now is it not the time for our party to fall apart," Pinkie Pie interjected happily. "Fighting before a boss, especially the final boss, always, always, always leads to bad things! You can't play well together!"

"You think this is a game," Huon muttered in disbelief.

"Bill, get away from Juan," Revolver threatened, his hands going to his gun.

"Revolver! Always coming to this moron's aid, even when he is so undeserving of it," Bill cackled happily, getting smaller, but still gleaming red. "If only you knew with whom you have been walking this whole time!"

"Guys, I'm going to agree with the cute pony on this one," Deadpool shouted from within Darkstalker's pouch.

"He's contacting his precious Order," Darkstalker said, shaking his head. "Not the Tscheapwhetzar."

"Who is this Seltzer Wafer you're talking about," Pinkie asked.

"I think he said Cheap-wheatsers," Spike said with difficulty.

"Yup!"

"Enough with these ponies," Revolver growled.

"Easy there bub, we need them," Bill said, raising a hand. "The real matter at hand is our little defector, Juanny Boy!"

"You are idiots! We need to be moving," Huon began to say in his grinding voice when Juan cut him off.

"That's right Bill! Let's have it with the big secret! That I'm Ricardo revolver's Originator! I'm the one who wrote him and all his pain!" Juan didn't even spare a glance at his creation. He knew the man was stricken and would be growing very angry very quickly. "But I'm not going to live in fear of you and your threats anymore!"

Rainbow Dash got in between them and held the dream demon away from Juan with her hooves. "Calm down! We can't have all this arguing right now! We need to get ourselves ready for the final fight!"

"It's too late," Huon said grimly.

"Why? I don't sense anything," Darkstalker said.

"Then we really are in trouble," The Steel Inquisitor said in a subdued tone and pointed.

Everyone followed his finger to a man in flowing white robes descending gradually from the sky. It was Aizen, his hair and clothing fluttering lightly on the hot wind. He had a clam, small smile on his face and his eyes were filled with arrogance and power.

"It really is a miracle that the infamous, short-lived Villainous Vigilantes found me here. How many worlds have you left wrecked in your wake just to find me?" Aizen scoffed a little and continued, "You have equipped yourselves well, I perceive, but I hold the Calmus of Canon. I am equal now with the power of the Tscheapwhetzar."

"He should never have freed you," Juan spat.

"He is overly confident in his abilities, this is true," Aizen agreed. "I foresee that such an attitude will cause him immense pain and loss in the near future. Either by my hands or by someone else's. But for now, that is neighter here nor there."

Aizen reached into the folds of his robe and produced a beautiful, long quill and held it aloft. "The Calamus of Canon. With it, I have prepared for this battle my once comrades. I have observed the minds and dispositions of each you in turn: Darkstalker, the dragon who sought to grow up but is still a child. You selfishly wish to have everything you thought was taken from you, but what you destroyed with your very own claws. Clearsight, Fathom, Moonwatcher, Qibli, the Nightwing throne, your precious dragonets, and all the riches of your tiny, meager world. You would really not look beyond your own immediate desires. Long would you rule in boredom and unfulfillment."

As he spoke, Deathstalker started getting smothered to the ground. He coughed and wheezed, but could hardly move. Juan gasped and realized that Aizen was using his spiritual pressure. The man could control it with incredible accuracy and finesse, slaying people with his mere presence.

Aizen then locked eyes with Huon. "The believer turned murderer. But now, after seeing everything that you have, you Huon, have had a change of heart. But you cannot go back to the Lord Ruler as you are. You want to erase all that you have seen and experienced and go back to the ways things are. That is the sentiment of one who is fated to perish as the world moves on. But then again, that was your fate as a High Executioner. It is sad to see such great potential lost. You are a waste.

"And speaking of waste! You, Ricardo Revolver, you have so much potential to do the world good with your knowledge and power! In your own story, you could with the right nudge change your ways and save the world from demonic influence." As Aizen spoke, both Ricardo and Huon were also forced to the ground. "But you throw that all away for revenge. That is the narrowminded view of a pitiful man. Your guns and bullets will avail you nothing here."

The Soul reaper then turned his small smile to Bill Cipher and said in a mocking tone, "And the great Bill Cipher. You I know I cannot crush with raw power alone. You are too slippery an eel for that. But you are a bringer of chaos to all you touch. You consider it good fun, but that fun will never fill the hole in your heart."

Ha! Luckily, I don't have a heart," Bill countered. His body turned inside out and his bricks flipped about before reassembling. "See! I guess your insight for once has failed you!"

"On the contrary," Aizen said patiently. "I know that you destroyed your home dimension. You seek new thrills, new things to destroy, and revenge against the Pines for what you yourself have done. You may think on a higher level than Ricard, but you are still as empty and as ineffective against me."

With a final sneer he turned to the My Little Pony group and said, "After seeing these wretches for what they are, how can you seriously follow them here, let alone help them in their selfish, self-destroying endeavors. You have paired off with villains, and they will do nothing but take from you! Wih the Quill of Inspiration I can send you back to your own world, freed from the bonds that have been placed on you. I ca even rid you of the curse that was placed upon you by a Shadow. It would save your world a lot of heart ache from what is about to engulf the realms of Imagination. At least for a little while.

"But don't answer just yet. Think about it as I address the last member of this ruinous party."

Juan looked up in fear at Aizen and he already felt himself getting very heavy as the Soul Reaper spoke to him. "Juan, you are not a leader. You were always better in the back. That is where your strength is. You are a supporter, not a fighter."

Juan squeezed his eyes shut. The words were true. They had been from the very beginning. He had been only strung along, teased and toyed with. He could not free himself. It was only his doubt for survival that gave him the pseudo courage to face Bill and admit the dangerous truth to Ricardo.

 _Yes… I was never meant to be a hero. I just wanted… I just wanted to know what it felt like._

Aizen was still talking when suddenly a brash voice overrode him. "No!"

All eyes turned, even if with some difficulty for a few, to rainbow Dash, who flew above Aizen with her hooves crossed. She wore a determined look on her face as she glared at the traitor.

"The answer to your offer is no, Aizen," she repeated. "Yes, we knew these guys were bad news from the very beginning. Being around Discord a lot helps with that."

"Hey! I've reformed," Discord objected. "But yes, I cannot argue with her logic. It was clear as day who most of these characters are."

"But we got to know them, and yes they may be bad people, but that doesn't mean they can't change. And we made an agreement with them. We won't go back on it!"

"Yup!"

"Yeah! I have been getting this bad itch the entire time I've been looking at you," Pinkie Pie insisted. "And it just feels wrong. There's something wrong about you. At least there is a chance for these guys, but for you! That's probably a long, long, long, long, loooooong way off"

"So let's even the playing field already," Spike said heroically. "Discord, care to do the honors?"

"Don't mind if I do," Discord said happily, snapping his fingers and freeing everyone from Aizen's influence. "And since this appears to be the final fight, remember to call me Captain Wuz!"

"Aye, aye Captain Wuz," the pony group sang as they fell into battle formation.

Aizen lifted an eyebrow and his smile fell into a frown. "This is really going to happen? You should all realize, even if you cannot fully grasp the matter, that this entire situation is hopeless for you. I possess the Quill. I have the Crown of Command. In this domain, I cannot be stopped.

"That's what heroes do," Rainbow Dash retorted. "They make the impossible possible!"

"And with help from their friends, they cannot fail," Pinkie said resolutely.

Aizen drew his zanpakuto and it flashed. "Then you will all die here."

"Now Captain Wuz," Bill laughed.

Bill and Discord shot lightning at each other, but the bolts missed and wrapped themselves around Aizen. The Soul Reaper betrayed the slightest hint of surprise before he was engulfed in light. Bill held out his ring and snapped his fingers. There was a massive explosion where Aizen had been.

"Darkstalker! Go and take out his crown!"

The dragon flew off and Aizen burst from the fire and smoke of the explosion hardly singed. He glared at the two beings of chaos and sneered.

"I see that Darkstalker's animus touched items are cancelling out my hypnotism. Well played. So I think it is time that we see who has more power, you dubious Nightwing, or the Calamus o Canon!"

As Aizen held up the Quill once more, cold steel touched Juan's temple. In the excitement and emotional low of what had just occurred, Juan had completely forgotten about his creation! Ricardo revolver, e slayer heavenly and demonic beings, stood there with a curious expression on his face.

Licking his lips, Juan said, "Ricardo… Now you know the turht."

"Yes, I do."

"What are you going to do?"

"Juan, I've liked you. It has felt good protecting you from Bill and the others. I'm sorry that you ended up on this mission, and bullied by people like them. So, I'm going to let you say or do one thing before I end this."

A battle was unfolding before Juan's eyes. Lightning was raining from the heavens. The ground was being broken apart. Spells were going everywhere. Juan was not going to see how this would end. He had come expecting to be a hero, and had been a failure from the first step. However, there was a way to remedy that.

He brought up the tablet and hot the send button, saying, "Sorry Ricardo. Make your happy ending."

 _Maybe next time I can come to the Realms far away from the Order. Far away from the Guardians and the damn Tscheapwhetzar. A place where I can finally realize who I am and not suck up to any-_


	28. Part 5:2 - Ricardo Revolver

Juan looked lost in deep thought as Ricardo pulled the trigger and blasted his Originator's brains all over the hot stone floor. He was almost angry with the boy for what he had said and done at the end. But saying what he had, 'Make your happy ending.' He wasn't sure if it was a slap in the face or not. But he did not spare the young man another glance. It felt like it took a second longer than it should have for Juan's body to hit the gound.

Juan, a boy he had liked and protected throughout this insane adventure, had been his Originator. A cruel god that had put him through literal and figurative hell again and again for entertainment and reasons that he could never justify. It was disgusting! But then again, Juan had been a friend, someone who needed him, and didn't treat him like a monster or killer, even though that was what he had made Ricardo become!

 _Make your happy ending_ , he thought. _I've already done part of that. I don't need the Quill to get revenge there. But curse that powerful spirit! He's right about me! But we'll see who's laughing when he has two holes in his head and heart!_

Wasted potential. A boat without a rudder in a demonic storm. He needed to take one, and give himself a purpose! And it would start with Aizen!

Ricardo Revolver threw back his coat to reveal the guns and bullets he had had made for himself. Each item was specifically designed to give him a chance to fight Aizen one-on-one and win. Quicker than a striking serpent, he loaded in a time bubble bullet and fired it at the Soul Reaper. All of the other Vigilantes were thrown back and time slowed outside of the bubble as it grew to encase Revolver and Aizen.

"Very interesting," the one-time Captain remarked. "I was spying on you all as your journeyed towards me, a simple feat with the Quill. But seeing what you have engineered to face."

"I made sure that I had the best weapons made for taking down a would-be god," Revolver snarled, holding up his pistols after loading them. "I would not have had weapons like these before, in my own world, or story, or whatever we're calling them now. But with these I am your equal, so I'm happy to hear you are impressed."

"No, I was just commenting on how it is interesting that you wish to fight me alone. With a time manipulating bubble like this, you could have worked better with our party to defeat to me. But against me alone, you don't have a chance."

Aizen came at him with Flash Step, but with the new guns Ricardo grasped, he was granted inhumane reflexes and senses. He could track Aizen's every movement. Barely. The gunslinger barely ducked in time to avoid being beheaded, and he shot upwards at Aizen with an explosion bullet. The full force of a demon eradicating explosion spell as what the blacksmith's stole from a show he heard them call Konosuba, engulfed Aizen.

"That is some potent magic. Too bad I'm not some low level thug in a video game parody for you to kill with just one shot," Aizen said from behind.

Revolver spun about in a flash and used an ice bullet to deflect Aizen's next strike and freeze the Soul reaper's arm. With his second gun he fired off a soul piercing round. Aizen caught the bullet with a smirk. Revolver jumped back to put some distance between them, but he did mark that the bullet drew a few drops of blood from the Soul Reaper.

"I see that look in your eyes, Ricardo," Aizen said calmly. "That was a good strategy of yours. Draw me close in hopes of getting me with bullet. And I can see you have more. I bet they could be effective if given the chance to land. But you will never get it."

With a mighty swing of his blade, Aizen shook off the ice that had grown along his right arm and zanpakuto, creating a massive hole in the scorched earth.

"I thought you had lost your zanpakuto," Revolver said, keeping sights honed in on Aizen. "That you lost it when you lost your powers fighting Ichigo."

"Indeed I did, but you see Revolver, my goal has always been to rise to the highest heights. To hold the pinnacle that not even gods have attained. To be everything and to hold the highest point of evolution. To stretch to the eternities and even go beyond their confines. But in order to do that, I needed the Hogyoku to attain those heights. I have always wanted to do that organically. That meant that I did not use the Calamus of Canon to achieve my ends, but rather I used them as a means to restore the Hogyoku and myself as I had been before the Battle of Karakura Town.

"And so you now see me as I once was, though with some minor protections and specifications to make sure I could face you all without your powers interfering in this final experiment," Aizen explained. "That is why I have more sword. What you observed before was just a compressing of my power. But now, I can push myself in a whole new way against you. Well, not you really, Revolver. You as in the collective of Vigilantes."

Aizen attacked with a burst of speed and Revolver had to use his left gun to parry the attack. He shot a black hole bullet that would compress whatever it hit. Aizen dodged it with ease, even in close quarters. The ground behind where he had been buckled and folded in on itself. Reovolver jammed his left gun behind him and fired a blow back bullet, causing him and Aizen to fly back from one another.

In the air, he flipped around and fired off two bullets diagonally away from him. Purple lighting flowed from them and formed a net that caught Aizen. He saw it shocking the Soul Reaper, but he easily cut through it using his sword. Ricardo still fired off another that would melt whatever it struck. Aizen threw up a protective shield, which when hit started to dissipate.

"You have equipped yourself well," Aizen commented. "Those guns are what is most fascinating about you Ricardo. They are attuned to you specifically, allowing you to access special powers of flight, speed, strength, reflexes, and durability. But that is not was is impressive about them. It's how you are able to fire any bullet you wish in your guns with the command of a mere thought."

 _Dammit! He noticed! But how?_

Aizen smiled knowingly and said, "I can see how the chambers in your revolvers are not empty in the order you have shot your bullets. This gives the advantage of forming strategies on the fly depending on what bullets you have added to your guns. I suspect your holsters and cartridge belt afford you similar advantages. Very well done."

Ricardo shot the ground with a land forming bullet, creating a massive barrier of stone between him and the Soul Reaper. With the brief reprieve he was able to reload his guns with all new bullets. Aizen had been correct down to the last detail about his weapons and gear. If Aizen was able to puzzle that out, it meant that a lot of Revolver's advantages were now gone. He growled at himself in frustration. There was one more thing though that the Soul Reaper did not know, but he would have to wait until the last possible moment to use that to maintain his edge.

A tremendous force ripped away the stone barrier and Aizen strode through the rubble and dust confidently.

"Thank you for that quick pause," he remarked. "With that, you have granted me what I needed in order to win this battle for good against you Villainous Vigilantes. You will now die with that sad knowledge, Ricardo."

He barely saw the sword point in time for him instinctively activate the next trap. That reflex that had saved him many times in the heat of battle kicked in and his thoughts went to his three trap bullets. Purple bindings flew from where his net bullets had landed and snagged Aizen from behind, pulling him up short. The ground that had been morphed by the ground making round undulated and morphed to encase Aizen. At the same moment, Revolver shot Aizen in the chest with a soul piercing bullet.

"Damn, I had hope to lay the battlefield with more traps before you came at me in earnest, but I thought if I just shot everywhere stupidly you would suspect something was up," he said, exhaling sharply.

"Very well maneuvered, Ricardo," Aizen grinned, causing Revolver to step back with surprise. "Yes, you did get a direct hit on me. But are you forgetting spiritual presence? We Soul reapers can use it as a shield and to minimize damage. This is not even a flesh wound."

With a mighty heave, Aizen broke through all of the traps and easily pulled out the bullet. There was a light, bluish-purple glow at his finger tips and over his heart, and the small wounds Revolver had managed to land were instantly healed. The power of the Hogyoku was manifesting itself already.

I had hoped to win this fight myself, but he is too strong. He's breaking all of my traps as if they were nothing! My guns and bullets might still win the day, but not alone. Great… This means I will have to rely on them after all. But it can't be helped.

With a thought, Revolver broke the time seal and thrust everyone back to the same time frame.

"TIME! YOU DARED TO BREAK THE LAWS OF TIME WITH ME AROUND AND NOT INVITE ME!" Bill was beside himself. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT BURRITO SLINGER!"

"Fascinating though," Discord mused. "I'll have to keep something like this in mind for later."

"What in the name of the Lord Ruler did you do, Revolver," Huon snarled.

"Bill connect my thoughts to everyone! You need to know what I have seen and discovered," Revolver shouted, as he used two more explosion bullets, one from each gun, to keep Aizen back for a second longer.

There was a snap of fingers and Bill replied, "Oh, I now know. More than you could have guessed." The anger and malice were thick in his voice. "You will pay later for having nearly cost us the battle, Ricky. Mark my words."

The smoke cleared and Aizen stood at the ready, smiling. "It doesn't matter what you have concocted against me. You will all lose. You do not have the power to defeat me without the Quill."

"We'll see about that," Raibow Dash exclaimed, and she launched herself at him.

Revolver was amazed that the flying pony was able to keep up with Aizen's impressive speed. As she was distracting him, there was glow around Aizen's feet, and a circle appeared. He tried to lunge out of the way, but he found himself held there. Bill was making weird signals with his hands, entrancing the Soul Reaper's feet. Spike was casting a spell that Discrod shot arrows around, and the pink pony played some ridiculous song.

"A basic trap," Aizen sneered. "Really?"

Discord's larger head appeared through the clouds in the sky and spat out a die. Bill snapped his fingers again, and the die revealed a natural 20. Big Mac glowed with a fierce golden light and charged Aizen, slamming him as hard as he could with his broad sword. The seal broke, the arrows exploded, and Aizen flew back with blood streaming out his side and his clothes all tattered. Rainbow Dash came in for the finishing blow and hit him hard with dagger that went deep into the wound the war unicorn had opened up.

There was a wave of spiritual pressure and they were all thrown back. Aizen yanked out the dagger and breathed a few ragged breaths. He started healing instantly.

"That was an excellent play. You are all using your abilities in perfect sync. Had Ricardo worked with you from the beginning, you might have all won. But now, this is over." As Aizen healed, white matter sprouted from his body and began encasing him.

"He's entering the chrysalis stage of his transformation," Bill reported. "Great! This means that you will live longer to feel my wrath!"

Huon ran to Revolver's side and said in his grinding voice, "Fool! We need to all work together to defeat Aizen."

He then ripped out one of his spikes from his from his chest and handed it to Revolver, telling him to find a way to get it into Aizen. He had a few transportation bullets, and he slide one into a free chamber and used it powers to imbed the spike into the round.

"Aim for his sealing wound," Huon ordered.

Revolver could feel through the mental link that Huon needed the others to make an opening. He also vaguely felt that Darkstalker was having problems with the Crown. But his attention t that detail was broken as a cheer went up.

"Sonic Rainboom!"

There was mighty flash, trailed by a glorious rainbow. It slammed into Aizen, and Huon had to advert his eyes. The light was so overwhelming he could not look at it. A blast of rainbows scattered across the field and sky, clearing away most of the clouds. Rainbow Dash darted away, and Aizen was left in ground, his pupae form cracked and bent in.

"That… Was more than I thought it would be," he muttered.

"Now," Huon spat, right as the shell began reforming. Revolver fired true, and the bullet entered Aizen. "Now, release the spike."

As Revolver gave the mental command, there was a sound from above that shook the air. Everyone looked up for a second and saw a new horror. The Abominations had caught up with them. And they had brought a massive fleet to break into the inner world with.

 _Can't even catch a break…_

So much for making his happy ending. It looked like they were all going to die.


	29. Part 5:3 - Huon

The Steel Inquisitor barely gave any thought to the new comers. He pulled out his vials of metals and downed them quickly. Using Duralumin to enhance his Brass, Huon slammed Aizen with a powerful wave of Soothing, trying to beat him into submission. Aizen staggered as he got up, and the shell completed forming about him.

"Impressive Steel Inquisitor," the Soul Reaper noted. "You used a spike to get right at me, and by powering up your Soothing abilities, you thought you could get me mentally to cave into this fight. I assure you, my resolve is much greater than the powers of Allomancy!"

"It all depends," Huon growled. "Everyone! Attack!"

"Don't need to tell me twice," Bill seethed.

"Wheeeeeee!"

Pinkie Pie flew out of the sky, somehow, and crashed into Aizen. He batted her away, but barely caught Bill's flaming fist as it came for him. Still, the fire engulfed the Soul Reaper's new form. It did not leave even a smudge.

The ground opened up to swallow Aizen, but he remained hovering in the air. He swung his blade Bill, slicing open the demon's eye. Bill roared with rage and wheeled away, as a barrage of bullets showered the traitor. His blade moving swiftly, Aizen deflected each and every bullet.

"You are trying to put me of balance once again," he noted. "It's all part of the Steel Inquisitor's plan to weaken me with either Rioting or Soothing. Even if it did work, would it be enough to break through my defenses?"

Discord appeared and wrapped himself around the Soul Reaper, binding his arms to his sides. "You didn't fall like I expected. How odd. Rainbow Dash, if you'd please?"

"Aye, aye, Captain Wuz!"

The flying pony slammed rear hooves down on Aizen's head and slammed into the hole. Discord snapped his fingers and the earth closed up.

"Now, I know that will hardly hold him," the monster said matter-of-factly, summoning some arrows from his quiver. "But this will give us the time we need to properly prepare."

"I think not," Aizen shouted as he erupted from the earth, spraying rocks in every direction.

Aizen was a brilliant sun in human form to Huon's spiked eyes. He hated looking at the man. But he didn't want to die just yet. There was still too much that he needed to figure out about the universe. About himself. And through the mental link with Ricardo, he realized he was not entirely alone. It oddly comforted him to not be alone in that feeling and way of thinking. If he wasn't going to die in this fight, it was time to do something he had not wanted to use until the end.

Huon burned Atium.

 _Let's see what this would-be-god can do against this_ , Huon thought grimly as shadows sprouted out everywhere.

These were the shadows of events as they were about to transpire. With this metal, his sight was impeccable unless another was also burning Atium. Hefting his enhanced axes, he charged for Aizen. The encased Soul Reaper's shadow raised a hand, followed soon by the real Aizen. A beam shot out of it at high speed. Huon saw it coming a mile away, and easily changed his path to avoid being hit as the shot was discharged.

 _I can do this_ , Huon assured himself. I can cleave right through that shell of his and kill him. _I'm not just some Steel Inquisitor, I'm the High Executioner!_

Aizen's future self started acting faster. Before Huon closed the distance, he saw Aizen jabbing a finger like a sword at him in rapid succession. Huon could see where the man aimed, but at the intense speed at which he was firing, Aizen filled the battlefield with attacks. Rainbow dash struck again, Aizen batted her away easily. He continued to cut through the bullets Revolver fired.

Huon tapped speed to mimic his opponent and came face to face with Aizen. He saw the hand rising to grab his axe and the sword swinging to take him in the side. He grinned as his foresight finally gave him the advantage that he needed. He altered the angle of his attack and threw out his other axe to catch Aizen's sword hand.

It all happened in a blur. Aizen caught Huon's axe haft and broke it with his grip. He also changed the angle of his word's swipe and struck low. He sheared Huon's left leg from his body.

Howling, Huon tapped strength, speed, and weight from his Feruchemical spikes and smashed his face forehead right into Aizen's covered face. The Soul Reaper fell back for a moment and Huon, still using his three attributes, swung his second axe down and drove it deep into his foe's chest.

There was a torrent of light and air and Huon was thrown backwards. Blood sprayed in a trail underneath him. Aizen rose to his feet, his shell already reforming, but this time a bright gem glowed on his chest. It was the Hogyoku.

"Well done, Huon," Aizen congratulated. "You managed to break my covering for just a moment. But as you can see-"

He stopped short as four red pillars erupted around him. Huon had not heard the shots fired as he had attacked the traitor, but Revolver had fired another set of traps. Red chains shot from the pillars and took hold of Aizen's wrists and ankles.

"Now," Revolver shouted.

Five arrows struck Aizen in the back. Air, Water, Earth, Fire, and Spirit. A magic circle appeared around Aizen and spun. Pinkie Pie played a tune and Big Mac grew larger and stronger from the magic music. Rainbow dash brought in a dark cloud and hopped on it, casting a bolt of lightning to the war unicorn's sword, charging it.

"You really think your paltry table game tricks are going to stop me," Aizen asked in an amused tone.

"Yes," the little dragon with a beard and silly hat said triumphantly. "This is the end of our boss fight!"

The larger pony came in and slashed across Aizen. The five arrows exploded into their respective elements, sending deep cracks along Aizen's crystalline form. The circle constricted and green light flooded into the cracks, mixing with the power of the Hogyoku. An explosion ripped Aizen's outer casing apart and two bullets took Aizen in the head and chest, punching massive holes into him.

The Soul Reaper slumped in the chains that held him erect.

"That was a little more gruesome than I was expecting! But hey! We won," the pink pony declared happily.

The Hogyoku flared and Aizen's voice floated on the air, "Don't be so sure of that statement. The Hogyoku knows its master and will not fail me."

In a manner of seconds, Aizen's body re-healed itself and the shell reformed around him. Huon seized the moment by downing two more vials and slamming his enemy with another enhanced wave of Soothing. Aizen jerked a little and his voice failed him. Finally, with great effort, Aizen broke the chains and pillars with his strength.

"I used the Quill to make sure that the Hogyoku took to me this time. There will be no silly shortcuts to my defeat as there was last time," Aizen informed them. "You all have skill and power, but I can match it and overcome it. Even with Darkstalker blocking the effects of my Kyoka Suigetsu, I have the senses and skill necessary to cancel out every single one of your attacks. Even foresight."

"Damn you," Huon growled in his grinding voice.

Lightning went up everywhere in the sky and ships started falling from the heavens in fiery ruin. In the heat of the moment, Huon had completely forgotten that they were there. Aizen did not slow his advance as a ship crashed behind him, throwing up a wall of dirt and flame.

Even through the raucous, the Soul Reaper's calm voice carried. "I see that Darkstalker has discovered a way of dealing with the Crown. A red herring. I intended on beating you with my own powers. You split your forces, and that will lead to your undoing."

Another shot rang out from the spreading gloom. Aizen caught the bullet between his fingers and crushed it, along with the spell it contained. Huon heard a sigh from the man as a figure shot out of the raining dirt. It was Revolver.

Aizen ran him through with his sword. As he did, Huon heard the thoughts coming from the man through their link. It was a muddle of anger and despair, but mostly it was one of peace. He knew he was going to die doing this, but he hoped it would mean something.

"Had enough," Aizen asked.

"Yes, and it should be enough for you, too!" Revolver snarled, "As I die, these guns will hit you with the worth of my life and dying soul!"

Aizen could not move fast enough and was consumed by a raging inferno from Revolver's guns. His own body burst into flame and ash instantly. Aizen was blasted through the air, his shell once more cracked open and he was rigged with shock.

In that moment, Huon realized something, the man had the right idea. There was no going back to the way things had been. Even using the Quill would probably not have worked out in the end. Had he turned back the clock to where none of this had happened, he would have still died. With a purpose yes, but not with one as noble as ridding existence of this beast.

 _This is insane, but that is what life is. It is not logical or controllable as the Lord Ruler thought. He died thinking he was in control. We all perish at some point. It is the way of the universe. A constant. What matters is how we face it. I am free of my brothers and their dogma. I am not sure who I am really, but I know what I can do._

 _They will all die, but let it not be at the hands of a man who betrayed us! In this one thing, I can find meaning, nobility, identity, and peace!_

With that, Huon emptied his reserves of attributes and launched himself with his one leg and free hand. He flew at Aizen and then he _Pulled_. He Pulled with everything he had on Aizen's soul and sword and streak right down for him. He embedded his ax once more in Aizen's chest, crushing the Hogyoku.

 _There! Got it!_

"Did you really think the Hogyoku could be destroyed by the likes of you," Aizen whispered.

Huon did not even register the Soul Reaper ripping his head clean from his shoulders. He was dead before either of them hit the ground.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Aizen got up, his body healing from the combined attacks from Huon and revolver. With those two dead, Darkstalker distracted, and Bill still regenerating his eye, it would be easy to take down the My Little Pony gang and finish them off. He glanced up as a ship in the form of a castle merged with a spear, and made of pure white crystal cut through the air and severed a massive, black ship in two.

The Guardians had arrived. Aizen knew he should probably flee. But he still held the Quill. The Abominations would keep them busy as well. And soon he would emerge anew from the shell and begin his rightful ascension to godhood once more. There was nothing that could stop him.

"Sorry, Izzy, but you're wrong about that!"

Aizen spun about as he felt _his_ presence. "You!"

Deadpool stood there, stark naked except for his customary mask on his head. He held two katana aloft and was ready to fight.

"Did you miss me, mother-"


	30. Part 5:4 - Bill Cipher

"Curse the teen rating on this thing! Most PG-13 movies are allowed at least three f-bombs these days," Deadpool shouted to the sky, flipping off the embattled armada overhead.

"I severed your head," Aizen said calmly.

"And I have super regeneration, man! How else do you think this sexy do makes it through so many fights and ordeals," Deadpool replied, hugging and feeling himself up.

Aizen's words were cold as he said, "I should have just blasted your brains apart. Then we would see just how fantastic your powers of regeneration are. I can guarantee that they are nothing compared to mine."

"Let's see if you can tangle with the best, or die like all the other dumbasses out there," Deadpool challenged.

"Ah Wade, always gunning for the last laugh. You think that someone is going to find amusing as you expired naked on the ground?"

"No," Deadpool quipped. "I just can't wait to see what people say when they learn you got beaten by a butt naked dude!"

Without further preamble they charged and clashed. Their swords spun about in the air at blinding speeds. Sparks flew like droplets from a raging waterfall. Aizen scored a few hits on the mercenary, but he returned them in kind, scoring the Soul Reaper's shell.

"Impressive," Aizen noted. "You can keep up with me and even weather my assault."

"Just wait until you get slammed from above!"

"What nonsense is this?"

A pink comet fell from the sky and slammed Aizen into the ground. Deadpool and Pinkie Pie shared a high five.

"Ever since those morons at Screw Attack thought it was a good idea to have me and this precious gem face off, we've been in agreement not to fight one another, but to work together to bring smiles and laughter to the world," Deadpool explained.

"And honestly, though it totally, absolutely, 100%-ly, positively, extremely, horribly, without a doubty goes against my morals," Pinkie Pie said in one quick breath. "What will bring the most joy and laughter to everyone is to see you go down!"

"Impossible," Aizen snapped.

He got slapped hard by Pinkie's tail, snapping his head from side to side in rapid succession. Meanwhile, Deadpool whipped out from between his cancerous butt cheeks his infinite pocket and pulled out a new costume and some guns. In a quick motion, he was dressed once again and blasting Aizen back with heavy shots.

"Taste the power of comics and cartoons! Anime could never hold a candle up to this," Deadpool shouted, as he unloaded on Aizen.

"Though, dear reader, you might want to check out a precious gem like the original Furi Curi. _That_ is a quality series that could take a beating from someone like me! But you're no Naota," Deadpool cried out, bringing out a massive sledgehammer and smashing Aizen into an outcropping of rock.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bill watched as Deadpool and Pinkie Pie double teamed Aizen, slapping him around like a rag doll. It was almost enough to make him roll with laughter. That stuck-up Soul Reaper was finally getting what he deserved! But the dream demon could not celebrate yet.

The Quill of Inspiration was still not his yet. And the window of opportunity was closing quickly. The sky above was aflame with clashing armadas from the Tscheapwhetzar and Guardians against the Abominations. All the major parties were now present and fighting for their very lives. The wreckage was dropping all around him. It didn't really matter to him who won, they would be speeding downwards to take command of the amazing instrument unless he dashed away with it first.

But Aizen merged with the Hogyoku was a troubling prospect. The spiritual device was in a way weaker version of the Quill, in that it helped the wielder bend reality and its rules to their desires. The Hogyoku read the deepest desires and wishes of the heart and enabled others to achieve them. Aizen wanted to be an apex god, so the Hogyoku was transforming him to become that. Once he broke free from the shell he was in, the Soul Reaper would again be on the path of evolving into a god.

 _I have to beat him before he can get to that point_ , Bill thought.

For now, Bill was alone. Discord had not been as helpful as he would have hoped. The creature of chaos had been tempered by his time with these ponies and their diminutive dragon. Right now, that little gang was off to confront a whole other creature who had fallen from the sky. A creature who followed the Abominations, as far as Bill could tell. His all-seeing eye also located the Tscheapwhetzar, locked in combat alongside a Guardian against an Abomination and a young man in strange armor.

Bill recognized the kid as some nobody from Gravity Falls. That was interesting, especially with the dark corruption coursing through his very soul. But that was another person's problems, not his.

He drifted over to the Huon and Revolver's corpses. He dipped a finger in their wounds and began painting on the ground. He drew a circle made from an axolotl and put in the necessary symbols for what he did next.

"A-X-O-L-O-T-L! The time has come to tear a rift in the sky, to impede my foe and pluck out his eye! For the dark powers within your looming shadow, I give you blood and a soul!"

Revolver and Huon burned with blue fire until they became ash. Bill lifted his ring to the sky and it shattered. The drawing of the frilled newt and the symbols went from crimson to sable. Black light erupted from the ground and shot into the sky, cleaving a rift. A rift right to the Chaos Dimension.

Power flooded into Bill Ciper and he grew to loom over Deadpool, Pinkie, and Aizen. He arranged his fingers in a reverse snap and hollered, "Hey Aizen! Have a taste of THIS!"

He flicked and the force blasted Aizen far away. Bill shifted, the slates of his body turning, and he teleported to meet Aizen. He punched down and pounded the would-be-god right in the floor. The earth buckled and then exploded. Bill found himself getting thrown back.

"This is an interesting development," Aizen said, rising up from the haze of smoke and dust.

Bill saw that the shell was falling away, revealing the new form the Soul reaper had taken. His hair was still slicked back, but longer. His robes were open, revealing his powerful chest and his hands were exposed. Much of Aizen's skin looked to be made of smoky, glowing glass.

"This is a vastly different form to what I previously took. Back then, I still had my sword. However, I should have realized that I could not entirely recreate the experiment. My powers largely melded with me when my sword disappeared and Kisuke Urahara's cage took hold of me…

"But that should then mean," he said, with a smile. "That I have access to whole new levels of my previous powers."

He held out his hand and Bill felt himself getting crushed. He was collapsing in on himself, being crushed into oblivion. He surged with his own power and strove against the attack. It became a battle of wills. The air shimmered and burned as their two powers met, but Bill was unable to reverse the effects of the attack.

Aizen got blown away with a shower of confetti. Bill snapped back to his normal size and shape. Pinkie Pie had appeared with her party cannon. Not only confetti came out of the cannon, but Deadpool as well, wearing a tight circus leotard and a pink helmet.

"I make this look passable," he shouted, as he zoomed past, tackling Aizen.

"Fool! With this new form, I have unimpeded access to the powers of my bankai! I can make whatever I can conceive with my mind become the reality of this world!"

He turned Deadpool into a slug and then crushed him under foot. Bill caught on to what Aizen had said, and he drew from the Chaos Dimension, flooding the field with bubbles of madness. Aizen tried to bat them away but was sucked into one. He came out the other end looking disheveled and confused. Bill summoned a fiery hammer and slammed Aizen back to the ground as more bubbles consumed him.

"Heehee! These are fun," Pinkie Pie said happily, bouncing in and out of multiple bubbles.

"Just what kind of monster are you," Bill asked in disgust.

A beam of energy shot through, searing a hole through his body. Aizen emerged from the bubbles, looking angry. Another beam formed in his hand.

"This time, I'll operantly burn away that eye of yours," he seethed.

Deadpool healed and returned to his normal form from the squashed slug and rammed his katana right through Aizen's chest.

"That will no longer have any effect on me," Aizen said coldly. He touched the sword, disintegrating it, and blasting Deadpool away from him. "I have truly ascended beyond anything I could have hoped for right after the chrysalis stage. You will not stand a chance now."

As he spoke, there was an earth-shaking explosion and lightning went in all direction blasting many ships and flying beasts from the air. Other bolts flew to the far corners of the inner world and struck. One even fell right on Aizen. He raised a finger and intercepted the blast, remaining unharmed.

"Darkstalker has done something with the crown," he observed with a small frown. "He used it to attack all of his enemies within this small dimension. He managed to locate and slay all of the armies and creatures I had held back in reserve, as a precaution."

Pinkie Pie jumped up to Aizen and doused him with a deluge of insanity bubbles.

"How did you pick those up," Bill asked with wonder.

"Silly! If you embrace this kind of madness and silliness, it can't have any effect on you!"

"Enough!" Aizen screamed, bursting the bubbles with a blast of strength.

"Oooh! I wouldn't have done that! At least not with you in it," Bill giggled. "Well, I would have. But you shouldn't have."

Aizen started stretching and shattering at the same time. He changed colors, and started morphing quickly between a squirrel, a 1940 comic version of himself, a live action version of himself, a man made of worms, a black and white caricature, and then a Care Bear. He finally broke apart with another scream.

"You might have had the ability to influence reality, but you thought too small. Too logically," Bill cackle to the sky. "Madness is so strong that it redefines all rules!"

He began looking around and muttered to himself, "Now where is that Quill?"

"I see now. Yes, that makes sense," Aizen's voice said from the abyss.

There was a flash of brilliant light, and the Hogyoku reappeared. Aizen reformed around the jewel and came back much as he had before. But this time, there was a slit on his forehead.

"Even madness can make sense. And as such, it can be manipulated," Aizen said with his infuriatingly smug expression.

"He's evolving again," Deadpool shouted, dashing back onto the scene. "We need to stop him before he gets too far with the process!"

"Too late," Aizen cried, raising his hand.

"No you don't," Bill screamed, lifting his own hand. "This is supposed to be my victory!"

I cannot let him get away with this! I need that Quill!

There was a blast and the land began reshaping. Mountains sprouted up from the plains, capped with snow and cones ripped free from them spewing blood. Grasslands with man-eating flowers sprouted from the ground. Beautiful white towers appeared, opposed by derelict, rotting castles flying in the sky. A bright, yellow sun rose to greet a dying, red one. A bight moon winked into existence next to a craggy skull. Opposites collided, and the world no longer knew what it was supposed to be.

The Chaos Dimension finally vomited all of its contents and inhabitant onto the battlefield, as Aizen started reshaping the inner world in his own image. A mountain appeared under Aizen's feet and carried him away from his opponents.

"Very well, Bill Cipher. We'll have one final contest. The might of Chaos and the darkness of your Madness in the shadow of the great Axolotl, against the boundless powers of the Hogyoku and my own desire to reshape all of creation!"

Just then, a massive, winged shadow appeared behind the Soul Reaper.

Darkstalker had finally arrived.


	31. Part 5:5 - Darkstalker

The ship melted under Ezekiel's feet as he walked its length, closing the distance between him and the Guardian. He was flanked by the Priest. Hopefully that fool died today.

"You must be supremely confident facing me and my armies so unprepared," Ezekiel taunted as he drew nearer. "How many worlds under your command have fallen to me and my siblings? Hmm? Care to hazard a guess?"

"You can try to take on a human form, but you Abominations are a pitiful disgrace," The Guardian said coldly from behind his visor.

Like all Guardians coming into battle, he wore brilliant white armor that was close to blinding. He was fully encased in magical steel made of his Imagination. Ezekiel figured he must feel very confident behind that paltry protection.

"And it doesn't matter how many worlds have fallen. We will save them all in the end and erase your blight from the Realms," the Guardian swore. "This I promise you, monster. Just as I promise you a quick death."

"Is that the extent of your imagination in this matter? A quick death?" Ezekiel shook his head. "You have no gift for this. It is little wonder then that you are all losing. Our King will always win, even our defeats bring him bounds closer to victory!"

The Guardian snarled, "Then I will make this defeat an utter humiliation!"

 _Ah, there's your fury and passion. Please make your death enjoyable by struggling with all your might_ , the Abomination thought, a toothy smile spreading across his warped face.

The Guardian pulled out his blade, and it flared to life with blue light like fire. He rushed forward with incredible speed. No one else could have tracked it unless they had Sight. Ezekiel summoned a battered spear, held together by wisps of darkness and intercepted the blow. It still hit hard and threw the Abomination to the side.

The Guardian had planned and times the swing perfectly to crash the Abomination into Priest. The young man, in his stupid armor, managed to vault over Ezekiel as he flew towards him. He drew a sword that looked more ornamental than useful. The Guardian shattered it with a last swing. Blue fire engulfed Priest and he cried out in pain.

Ezekiel Willed the metal of the ship to twist and catch the Guardian's feet. A small diversion, but a split second could win a battle. He then put himself behind the Guaridan to impale him from behind.

The white armored man easily stepped aside, ripping his feet up as if nothing had restrained him. He snatched the haft of Ezekiel's spear and pulled him closer in. The Abomination hit the Guardian with a summoned, black whirlwind. The force did not push away his opponent, but it allowed him to burrow a hole right through the ship.

Ezekial sped through the tunnel he carved right as a blast of obliterating white light chased after him. He burst through the vessel's underside and righted himself of the edge, the ground below becoming his sky. The light whooshed past him from behind. He jabbed his spear towards the ground and darkness sped upwards to clash with the Guardian who came plummeting after him.

The Guardian burst easily through the attack and struck out with sword directly at Ezekiel's head. He broke apart his body and allowed the sword t pass harmlessly by. The blue light was unpleasant, but with the parts in him that made him who he was, Ezekiel could handle the Presence of another Accursed.

No, a being who long ago put his back to his mission and was lower than any Accursed- could ever fall. And could not fathom the heights that they and their king strove to achieve.

Ezekiel flipped the ship with a thought and catapulted the Guardian towards the earth. In midair, he righted himself and streaked right back for the ship. Priest fell from the sky, a black energy sword in his hands. The Guardian changed the young fool's descent with a thought as Ezekiel summoned a dragon made of water from the storm clouds. He was going to drown the Guardian with water. The dragon spat fire for good effect.

The Abomination stabbed his spear into the ship. It started falling apart from the overload of energy coursing from the blade into the vessel's body. Ezekiel grew another set of hands and began flashing all four in a curious succession of symbols. He was going to summon a special kind of prison to entrap the Guardian in. The water dragon was nothing but a distraction.

The Guardian blasted the dragon apart with a ball of energy shot from his fingertips. The serpentine beast exploded into a shower of small water droplets, only to reform a second later. Priest came, flying on black wings protruding from his back and shoulders. He looked utterly ridiculous.

The water dragon began constricting the Guardian. The beast evaporated around the Guardian's body just as Ezekiel finished his spell. A box of jaed with heavy chains appeared around his target. It had slots all over it and massive scimitars formed in the air, poised to skewer the box.

Red lightning fell from the sky and ripped the box apart, scattering and shattering the large blades. A figure also fell from the sky and slammed into Priest, dropping him. That small figure flew right for Ezekiel. He wrenched his spear from the ship, causing it to finally explode entirely.

Their weapons collided and they flew right through the flames and wreckage. Red lightning coated this new comer and surged through Ezekiel, threatening to crush his own Presence and dominate him.

"I would say something cool, but Snuffering Snarferance is the only thing that comes to mind," the new comer said. "Now, let's see just how strong that spear of yours is!"

His sword flared white light and cleaved right through the spear's haft. A free fist shot out and slammed into Ezekiel, sending him flying through another ship and crashing into the side of a descending Dreadnaught.

Through the hole in the vessel, Ezekiel took in a robed and hooded form, whose tattered and brown clothing whipped about like a long cloak. A sword with red lightning in his right hand, and red eyes glaring right into Ezekiel's soul.

The Tscheapwhetzar had come at last.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Darkstalker sped for the Crown while his allies engaged Aizen. He saw in his enemy's thoughts that he held the Quill of Inspiration in him. He didn't communicate that knowledge to the others, keeping that in mind for when he could swipe the Quill for himself. They had agreed to all use it together, but he had seen a vision that Bill would find a way to steal it from them and use its power just for himself.

And there was a good chance that he would enslave the other Vigilantes as well.

 _Bill might be good for a laugh, and a good ally in this fight, but I cannot trust him!_

Darkstalker found the tall pinnacle of rock where the Crown was kept. He just needed to take it and he could use it against Aizen and anyone else. Free power! Power that he could use when he returned to his home and came to rule. That was a good idea.

He landed near the crown and was about to reach for it when Deadpool called out to him. "Okay Scales, I think it's high time I get out of this old lady's purse of yours! My time has finally come in the script to intervene!"

Darkstalker almost gasped as his metal pouch burst open, and Deadpool launched himself out, completely naked except for the mask on, and two swords in his hands.

"How did you hide that from me," he stammered. "How did you shield your mind?"

"I'm crazy! And a crazy person is always able to shake off invasion of their mental privacy! How do you think Batman gets through everything?"

Darkstalker was about to ask, but he caught the images of the caped and cowled man, looking like a bat. Surely that was an exaggerated thought. It would be a very Deadpool thing to do.

Deadpool started running off and shouted, "Whatever you're going to do Darkstalker, you'll want to do it now! Everything is about to go to hell!"

The dragon looked up and took in both the sights of his eyes and the sights of his precognition. Three armadas were about to clash. There was going to be a terrible battle. More Accursed were about to take the field than the Realms had witnessed in over a hundred Origin years. An eternity in some places within the Realms.

If he was going to take the Quill of Inspiration, Deadpool was right, it had to be now. And to do that, he needed to turn the crown against Aizen. He reached out and clamped his claws down on it.

It was all a trap.

It was very well planned. It had been designed to counter Darkstalker's foresight. It pulled him within himself. Crushing the dragon with the memories of his past: his mother being taken by the Ice Wings. His father's cold demeanor and verbal abuse. People looking at his sister wrong and turning their backs on her. His friends betraying him. Being sealed for thousands of years and losing the entire world.

Betrayal. Betrayal. Betrayal! BETRAYAL!

Was this really his legacy? Was he not supposed to be the world's best friend, counselor, and confidant? What had he not sacrificed for his tribe? For his family? For his friends? For his love?

And then he was crushed with what he had done. He was assaulted with the guilt of his deeds. The guilt! Betraying Fathom by imprisoning that lopping Sea Wing! Not telling Clearsight about his spells. Not saving his mother. Conquering his tribe. Bringing the world to the brink of a genocidal war.

Is that what Clearsight had seen in him?

And then he saw what had happened to her. Married to another dragon, living happily with small hatchlings. Her dragonets! He had nothing! He was thrown into obscurity! Forced to live a meaningless, pathetic life of stupid, predetermined-by-his- _friends_ happiness. A hollow shell of who he once was. Of the dragon he could have been.

 _The pain! How did I not see this? What could I have done differently?_

He remembered Qilby's words to him. That he should have acted as a friend, not expecting anything in return for his deeds. Was that really the way? It seemed to have so many opening for another to plunge a knife into his heart. Just as they had already done to him so often.

 _Aizen! Curse you! By the shadows of the three moons, I will see you dead! DEAD!_

He dug his claws into the crown and poured all of his Animus magic into it. The Stormlight that fueled his power surged and flowed into the crown. It rattled, and he started crushing it. He fought against the trap. He pushed back.

 _I will rip through this veil of memories! I will forge my own destiny! That is the past! But I can rewrite it! I can be better than that! I just need! That! Quill!_

He enchanted the crown to be used against his enemies. Against Aizen. But whatever Aizen's tampering had done to the Crown of Command, he could not undo it entirely, but lightning bolts shot out and fell among the coming enemy. He still strove against the memories, and tendrils of darkness shot out and pierced his soul. Aizen's power threatened to consume him.

But then again, his mother had named his Darkstalker.

It was time to hunt the darkness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Tscheapwhetzar ripped the sky open with the swing of his sword and lava poured through the fabricated hole. The molten rock reshaped itself to become a horde of snakes and elongated dragons that chased after Ezekiel. The Abomination danced across the open air, dodging the fiery serpents as ships fell in ruin all around him.

Three fleets clashing was a wonderful, destructive thing.

"I feel so alive," he heard himself slip. It was true. "Fighting two other Accursed! There could be nothing more exhilarating!"

"The feeling is mutual," the Tscheapwhetzar roared.

Ezekiel saw red lightning come right at him, taking the form of a T-Rex. He flew through the air to escape its blinding, red jaws. The Guardian then appeared at his side, having popped through a portal, falling upwards. A golden gun was in his hands. Three shots fired off.

Twisting in the air, Ezekiel narrowly missed two bullets, but one took him in the arm and burned off the entire limb. That damn golden gun! But Ezekiel had barely a moment to think before one of the lava dragons clamped its jaws around the lower half of his body. As his legs and gut dissolved into meted flesh, he sent a thought cooling the dragon, making it hard stone.

Ezekiel gave the dragon life. It spat him out and then curled around him defensively as he healed. The Guardian beheaded the dragon, but Ezekiel Willed it to fight on. It lashed out at the Guardian, who lifted his left bracer and took the hit. The dragon's body shattered.

"It still amazes me that you Abominations have the ability to be creative," he said, sounding amused.

"We are just like you," Ezekiel hissed. "Only more!"

A blade wreathed with red lightning burst through his chest. Presence filled him, trying to consume him. His thoughts were dominated by a blackhole, sucking his thoughts into oblivion.

"More what? Oblivious? Opaque? Ugly? Constipated? You really need to finish your sentences so they don't sound so vague!"

"Tscheapwhetzars… The worst Pact Breakers," Ezekiel spat. "But you never consumed what I possess."

His right hand glowed bright yellow. His arm twisted in on itself and then shot out, elongating. The glowing hard went right for the Tscheapwhetzar's face. His enemy pulled back, but Ezekiel concentrated on his chest catching his enemy sword in it. He could feel the man let go as he leaped back.

"This is why we are more," Ezekiel said, his voice going unnaturally throaty. "Because I have powers you have never encountered."

He positioned himself to keep an eye on the Guardian. He raised his yellow hand towards the armored foe. He could See in the man's eyes that at least he knew what the danger was here. So he wisely kept his distance.

"Is this going to be an anime where we now trade back and forth barbs about how I was ready for your tricks, but you still have an ace up your sleeve," the Tscheapwhetzar laughed. "Because if so, I've got seven more! Dog chow!"

As he shouted that, he threw up his hands, spraying Ezekiel with a poker cards. Ezekiel did not flinch. And he was not amused.

"Nothing? Those are nerves of steel! Most people would at least blink!" He then grinned wickedly. "But this might do the trick."

Ezekiel gasped as two more blades split from the sword in his chest, ripping his rib cage open. Right then, the Guardian pounced and with two swipes cut off his glowing hand and took him in the neck. The Tscheapwhetzar also flew forward and grasped his blade.

He had failed, but then something amazing happened. He saw his master's plan. He was being touched by the King. What a wondrous strategy! He had not even thought of such a thing.

"Enjoy this while you can," he coughed. "It is going to hurt…"

The two swords sheared right through Ezekiel's body, killing him. But the shorn pieces of his corpse blew apart and became a mighty, black hurricane.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Priest watched as Ezekiel was beset by both a Guardian and a Tscheapwhetzar! He had no chance in this fight. There was only one option for him: flight.

He flew towards one of the damaged Dreadnaughts. No one would care too much about one of the broken-down beats trying to limp off. He needed to escape this nightmare. He had seen what could happen if you stayed and fought a pointless battle at the Towers of Time. He would not make that same mistake here.

It took him a while, but once he entered the bridge of the monster, he ordered, "We're moving out! Quick! Under the cover of chaos!"

"But sir, we follow Ezekil's orders."

Priest looked over at the shadowy woman who address him. He summoned another blade in his hand and beheaded her.

"We _will_ leave. Now!"

Eventually, the others got the message, and the Dreadnaught limped away.

Why was he doing all of this again? He saw a redhead flash briefly in his mind. A beautiful, impossible girl. But right now, he was doing this to survive. He would return one day, though. This was a disgrace, but he could redeem himself.

He didn't fully understand it, but his King needed him.

Yes, that was right. He would return. When the time was right.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It must have been the connection to Stormlight. That could have been the only explanation, for right as Darkstalker thought about his namesake. What it truly meant, and what his mother must have hoped for.

"Life before death," he grunted against the pain of struggling with the crown. "Strength before weakness, journey before destination."

Such strange words. Such powerful meanings. He swore this oath as the lightning coursed through him. He got violent flashes of what was going on before him and what could possibly happen from this point. If he wanted to survive this battle and be with Clearsight once more, he needed to say those words.

Aizen's trap still assaulted him, but now Stormlight surged through him in a way he had never imagined. It became one with his Animus magic. He felt more powerful than he could have ever imagined. He felt the Atium earring kick in and his foresight became something he had never experienced. He saw so many visions! But each one erupted with even more possibilities within each vision.

Not even Clearsight could have seen this. She would not have even been able to follow it if she could see!

Against all the pain, he laughed to himself, _She would be so jealous if she could see this right now! For once I am legitimately beating even her own vaulted abilities!_

He wanted to destroy the crown. He knew he should. No future boded too well for him or anyone if it remained. But he could not destroy it just yet. Aizen had placed many more traps, and with the battled above slowly making its way down further, they would kick in. It could become a bloodbath!

"Destroy all of Aizen's pawns and traps," Darkstalker commanded.

Stormlight flowed into the crown as his magic took effect. But Aizen's tamperings hit him with a wall of pain. The Stormlight healed his body, allwing him to come back to his normal self. But his mind was still aflame with the assault.

The crown did not obey his command.

"Remove all of Aizen's traps," Darkstalker ordered.

Again, the terrible memories, and now a sense of nausea and dizziness slammed into him.

I have to get creative! Come on Darkstalker! You need to use that big brain of yours and think your way out of this!

That was easier said than done, because resisting against a mental attack was more than what he had expected. So far in his life, nearly all conflicts were physical, not mental. And those he had won handily. But wait! That was it!

"Aizen's traps, fight me in a contest of strength," Darkstalker commanded.

Lightning formed claws and grappled with Darkstalker. His impervious scales were even further enhanced with a thought. He wrestled the immense power back into the crown. He grasped it against with his talons, crushing the metal and gold.

He was winning.

"Crown, you will strike down all of Aizen's allies!"

The lightning roared out, causing the air to heat up. Thunder rang Darkstalker's ears and head and he partially collapsed. Lightning bolts flew everywhere. Some slammed into the ships above. Others when right where he needed them.

Slowly, Darkstalker's will clashed with Aizen's. The traps kept springing, damaging his mind even further. He was getting swallowed up now in those memories. The dragon slumped down and passed out.

His eyes snapped open as he felt the rush of power. He saw what Aizen had become. He saw it clearly in his precognitive eyes. So, those futures were now the ones he had to deal with. The others had not been able to defeat him. That mean that a number of the Vigilantes were dead.

The crown lay in pool of slag underneath him.

Darkstalker staggered to his feet and nearly toppled over. He felt so weak. So much of his Stormlight had burned out fighting Aizen's hold over the crown and then destroying it. The mental traps must have broken when the crown couldn't take the strain anymore and melted. At least he could see that everything would be okay now with Aizen's allies. They were all dead.

Quickly checking his pouch, the specially cut gems still held Stormlight that he could draw on. He sucked it in and took on the sweet power it gave him. He then produced the Atium he had acquired, and swallowed the miniscule pebbles. With that magical metal now in him, he knew he had the power to face Aizen.

He needed to get his claws on that Quill!

Darkstalker sped towards Aizen and Bill. The triangular demon had summoned a black, frill-headed salamander. It descended from a tear in the sky to attack Aizen. The entire earth was reshaped between order and chaos as the two god-like beings clashed, reshaping this reality with their minds.

Coming behind Aizen he swore, "I will purge the darkness, even if it must be from within myself!"

And darkness did come from him. It became a black mist that transformed into a massive, curved and sinuous blade, resembling a gaping jaw. He swung it with both claws gripping the handle right at Aizen.

A sword appeared in the Soul Reaper's hand and he accepted the dragon's strike, stopping it. His free hand flew up and stopped the black axolotl as it flew for him. The ground shattered around Aizen from the force of both attacks. Darkstalker commanded the stones to turn to bullets and strike Aizen. They slammed into him and bounced off, blunted.

"It's about time you got here," Aizen said.

Using Atium, Darkstalker pounced closer, and saw Aizen's response. He blew fire to where the Soul reaper stepped. His fires were turned back on him. The black salamander swooped and swallowed the flames, bursting alight itself. It then slung water from its body. Water that acid.

Aizen dodged it with his incredible speed. Bill was right behind the Soul reaper and brought both fists down. A forcefield protected Aizen and the ground swallowed him whole. It then exploded.

Darkstalker wrapped the explosion and debris around himself and lashed out with it. Aizen was unconcernedly flying through the air deflected the barrage with a thought. Darkstalker then engaged him with the sword, matching him with speed. Bill rose up, taking on a color scheme of black and red, blue flames running up his hands and arms. His fingers danced as Darkstalker and Aizen fought, the Soul Reaper kept on the defensive while facing the power of Atium.

The burning salamander snaked its way to Aizen and separated into different beings and launched themselves from all directions. Aizen finally tried to flee.

"Stay where you are," Darkstalker commanded.

Aizen's eyes widened. "Your Stormlight…"

The burning creatures converged and multiple spells activated. Shadows and fires ripped into Aizen's body and flayed him. Blood sprayed everywhere. The Hogyoku kicked in again and healed Aizen. A third eye grew on his forehead.

 _No! If this keeps going on, we'll get to_ that _future!_

The future where Aizen achieved his aims and became a god. Darkstalker would not allow that to happen. He moved forward to take advantage of Aizen's momentary pause to heal, but then he felt exhausted.

 _My Stormlight_ , he thought, bewildered. _It's…_

"I've taken away that power of yours," Aizen said with a grin. "Without your Stormlight, you risk your soul. Will you stake your oh-so-precious self in order to defeat me?"

The dark axolotl reappeared, and Aizen cleaved it in two with a swipe of his sword. He then cast a spell, blasting Bill backwards.

"This ends now. I'll take your Atium next," Aizen said. And it was so. "Neither of you will ever reach me again."

"Hogyoku, shatter," Darkstalker ordered using his Animus magic.

Aizen turned to him, eyes narrowing. "What are you trying now?"

"Your will against mine," Darkstalker roared, suing the exact same strategy he had used on the crown.

Aizen hesitated for the briefest second. He was not prepared for this kind of assault. Darkstalker was. He had survived the crown, he could make it through this.

He rammed his blade right into Aizen.

Aizen smirked. "You may wield a kind of Shardblade, but my spiritual energy is so great that it acts even stronger than a Shardblade or Plate. You will not harm me."

"Shardblade, purge the darkness before you. Stab into Aizen," the dragon commanded.

With the blade already against his body, and with Darkstalker matching his speed, Aizen could not react I time. The Shardblade slid through him and hit the Hogyoku. There was a burst of bright light and Darkstalker and Aizen were flung apart from one another.

The Quill of Inspiration appeared, having finally been beaten out of Aizen. It floated on the wind.

"Wind, bring me the Quill," Darkstalker mumbled as he flew backwards.

The violent currents of heated air responded, and it sped to him. Bill's hand shot out impossibly far to snatch it up, but Darkstalker grasped it before he could. He held aloft the Quill. He had succeeded! He now held everything he needed to make his dreams a reality! All of it!

Two futures lay before him now. He had seen them earlier. He could use this Quill and impose his dream. He liked that idea. But… Qilby's words haunted him. Aizen's traps pained him. Those memories all made him throw up.

He then saw Clearisght's face. The first day he had seen her. The day he fell in love.

He saw Moon's face, for once looking up to him as an honest friend.

He saw a world where he fit in. A world where he was not _the_ Darkstalker.

"Quill of Inspiration, be destroyed and take everything with you that you have created."

"No," Aizen and Bill screamed together as the Quill burst into flame and ash.

"No, no, no, NOOOOO!" Bill snapped his fingers, but the Quill did not come back. "Why did you do that?"

"To save us," Darkstalker said, slumping back to the ground. He felt ready to pass out again.

Aizen also collapsed and Hogyoku vanished. Bands sprang out of his body and bound him, suppressing his powers.

Bill returned to his normal size and color and sat down next to eh dragon, sighing, "Now the Contract takes effect. Great… I'm going to make sure that you and I are stuck together. I'm going to make you pay for this!"

"Do as you wish," Darkstalker said quietly, looking up at the growing, black cyclone in the distance.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I've evacuated my forces from the inner world," the Guardian said.

"I have as well."

"Good, then we will seal it off-"

"But the damage has been done," the Tscheapwhetzar said, cutting him off. "That was brilliant! Incredibly brilliant! The entire campaign was a setup!"

They had observed the hurricane. It was Realms altering spell. It dug deep into the Tumblrverse's soul and ripped the pocket and in between dimensions among the Stars right into one spot. It merged the places, like where he had fought the Abominations when they used Supernatural to seek out an epic weapon of power. All of those places would now become a part of this cosmic conglomerate of thoughts and impulse.

He and the Guardian had tried to undo the spell, but there was something that blocked them. It would take more research to figure out exactly what had happened, and if it could be reversed. But for the time being, their victory had become a great defeat. Countless worlds were crushed together, and whatever survived was now lost in the depths of the Tumblrverse.

And they still fought the Abominations for control of this area; they were far from done.

"I have been fearing how things have progressed in this war," the Guardian admitted. "We hand the Abomination defeat after defeat, but they never slow up. At times it feels like they are getting stronger. But that shouldn't be possible."

"It could be, but that doesn't bode well. It's such a high cost," the Tscheapwhetzar spat, as the Guardian sealed the inner world.

The howl of the hurricane was cut off.

"It leads me to many more questions. What do you think?"

The Guardian did not respond. That was very telling.

"Well, I have some conscripts I need to talk to, and some My Little Pony characters to see safely back home."

"I'll make sure they make it back," the Guardian said quickly.

Holding up a hand, he said, "Tscheapwhetzar business. They stumbled across one another and worked together on my little project."

"I insist," the Guardian hissed.

Again, very telling.

Smiling inwardly at all the great information that was being surrendered by this clumsy Guardian, the Tscheapwhetzar said, exasperatedly, "Fine! Take them! But be careful, I highly doubt that their coming here was a coincidence."

Again, no response.

I'm really going to have to make my way to Equestria sometime soon.

"Pleasant chat. We'll have to do this again. Next time with the entire council," the Tscheapwhetzar said, taking out a PB&J sandwich from within a robe pocket and eating it. He then took out a gallon of milk and washed it down, before handing the carton to the Guardian.

He made sure to slobber all over the rim.

The Guardian turned away and left him. The Tscheapwhetzar made his way to his ships where he sought out Darkstalker. The dragon was recuperating in a hangar bay on one of the carriers. He had used up all of his Stormlight and had even his invincible body had taken on a lot of damage. And fighting against Aizen and his reality-altering powers had done a lot to the dragon. He was being healed back into his former state, but with the Atium earring still in place.

That Hemalurgic spike could mean a lot for him later. He would keep it in and see where this conversation went.

"I destroyed the Quill," Darkstalker said in a resigned voice, before he even saw him. "I know you wanted it. I wanted it. But it was the best choice."

"Then don't sound so sad about! You did well and helped save the day on your end! Bill Cipher is kept in check and in my employ, and I think you've earned yourself a reward."

"What reward is that?"

"I'll fix you up, and then send you back in time within your story. From there, you will have the chance to change things around for your betterment. If you fail, I'll destroy that alternate timeline and take you away. But, you at least get the chance," the Tscheapwhetzar explained kindly.

"Will it become the true timeline. Canon, as you refer to it," Darkstalker asked hopefully.

"No," he answered truthfully. "But it will be real and true for you. And that is all that counts. You will still be under Contract to me, and I will require your services. However, I will give you time to establish a happy and fulfilling life if you can. Do we have a deal?"

Darkstalker was quiet for a moment and then he asked, "I will have a chance with Clearsight?"

"Absolutely."

"The I'll take it."

Patting him on the neck, the Tscheapwhetzar said, "You are a good dragon, Darkstalker. Rest for now."

Imagining himself speaking to all of his commanders and captains, He brought his wish into reality, and he had all their ears and attention.

He said, "Move us out of here. We've done enough damage. The Guardians will want to clean up this place. Let's not step on their toes yet. Besides, we have other projects to get to work on!"

There was a slight thud in one of his pocket. He had some research to mull over.


	32. Epilogue

Darkstalker was back on that fateful day. Reliving his glorious and infamous moment. Arctic's eviscerated corpse lay up on the stage and he stood near his sister Whiteout. A powerful thought surged through his mind,

 _How DARE SHE_.

It rocked him to his core. Two minds were suddenly struggling for control: one that was the old him, who had reveled in his father's death and now contemplated killing his soulmate, and the now Darkstalker, sent back for one final chance to grasp what could have been his.

"Clearsight has your scroll," Whiteout whispered to him. He swung around to meet her and saw that her eyes were squeezed shut. Come on Whiteout, I need to see your eyes one more time. She didn't open them, but continued, "She said to tell you she'll meet you at Agate Mountain."

The older him sneered and raged within, but he answered, "Of course. I'll go there immediately."

Whiteout flinched for just moment and her clenched eyes softened, though they remained closed. "Everything has changed brother. The giant reaches to grasp all three moons and sun. He reaches for you, but has not caught you yet."

He cupped her cheek in his talon and said softly, "I love you Whiteout. Please, always remember that your brother loves you. I must get going."

Touching his sister and saying what he honestly felt in his heart threw the old him aside. The angry, soul shattered dragon within snarled and tried to jump back into the fray and take control. But it was blocked. Loomed over by a much larger shadow that was hell bent on righting his wrongs. For Clearsight. For his sister. For everyone.

"Should the Empty God lie dead and the Infinite Wings stretch out once more to touch the heavens, we will find each other, and be happy brother."

Darkstalker stared at his wonderful sister and wondered if she had just spoken a true prophecy. He could never fully tell with her. The stampeding NightWings around him didn't help his concentration much.

Whiteout didn't say another word, but for the first time ever Darkstalker heard the thoughts of his sister as clearly as he had ever heard any dragon's.

 _I love you too, Darkstalker._ _Brother_.

It was too much for him, and he tears poured from his eyes. No dragon saw it. The commotion of the forced suicide, no, murder held the attention of every NightWing. Darkstalker did not make his way immediately to Agate Mountain. There was something he must do first, or else he would never have the ending he needed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Clearsight sat on the mountainside. She shivered as she waited for Darkstalker. Her foresight of coming events had suddenly cut off a little while ago and she could no longer read her future. All she knew was that Darkstalker was late. Did he know the trap she and Fathom had set? Had he magicked away her divining powers in order to kill her? Had he lost all his love and decided to abandon her? Why was he late?

Only her resolve to save all of Pyrrhia held her in place. After what felt like an eternity she saw a dragon winging its way toward her. It was hard to see at first, but this dragon bent the very air around it. It was like a rainbow was trying to escape from around it, but at the same time was being sucked into the dragon itself. Clearsight had never seen such a thing before. Soon, the dragon was close enough for her to recognize Darkstalker.

 _Oh no! What has he done? What kind of a spell is this?_

Darkstalker landed near her. Now that he was this close, the first thing she noticed were the tears in his eyes. She had not expected that. She had never seen him look so defeated and yet… hopeful, all at the same time. He kept his distance from her, which set off the warning bells in her mind. He knew! He knew about her plan to betray him.

"Clearsight," he said in a choked voice. "Clearsight… I'm so, so sorry. There really is nothing that I can say to atone for what I've just done. Only something I can do. Well, no, that's not right. I can say something. Lagerblad said I've always been selfish, and it's true! I let my own ambitions and thoughts get in the way of us! Of everyone and everything we cared about!

"I've cursed our entire tribe to flee and they will loose their history and heritage. My actions will lead to wars and terrible things… Unless I stop it all now. I can! Yet, I shouldn't… Because they will need this history to be the heroes Pyrrhia needs... But I need your help, Clearsight. Please!"

In all the time Clearsight had known Darkstalker, and in all the timelines she had ever seen, she had never seen him beg. Not like this. This came from the very depths of his heart and soul. But why? Was this a ruse to catch her off guard? Why go to such lengths when he had such power as he had already, even without his scroll? However, he sounded so sincere, she decided to play this out a little. It might give her a chance to get closer to put on the armband.

"What do you need from me," she asked cautiously as she stepped up to him, slowly.

Then she saw towering above him a massive dragon of midnight black. It was the largest dragon the world had ever seen. It made her feel like a hatchling again. Her jaw dropped at the sight. She wanted to scream. A gentle claw closed her mouth and positioned her face to look straight into Darkstalker's earnest eyes.

"I can see what you see. It's reflected in your own beautiful eyes. That monster above me is what I will become. And what I have already become." Clearsight gave him a confused look, and he continued. "You will place my armband that I gave you on me and it will put me to sleep. Fathom enchanted it to do so. I will wake again in two thousand years, bent on completing my quest to conquer the world with myself as the king of all Pyrrhia. It will end badly, for me at least, and so many will suffer along the way."

"How can you know this," Clearsight said in astonishment. The chance to put the armband on him slipped away as Darkstalker pulled back. "Of the two of us, only I can see far into the future, and even I cannot see that."

"I have lived it, Clearsight," Darkstalker explained, and he began to pace nervously. "But I was rescued, and given another chance by a scavenger, or I guess we should call them for what they really are, humans. This human, they called him the Tscheapwhetzar, he gave me another chance."

She saw him touch an earring piercing his left ear. It was a simple black ring, but it glinted a bright white in her eyes. It had a presence about it, and again she realized the change in colors around her beloved. In fact, the entire mountainside was shining with an array of colors. It was so beautiful. She had missed it because of his eyes. Those eyes that looked so lost and clung to her for some unknown salvation. What could she say?

"He had me work with a group of other villainous souls he had saved, and together we fought to find a tool that would allow us to magically alter out stories in any way we wanted. I could have had everything I ever wanted in the stroke of a talon! But when I was given the chance, I held the tool for myself, this Quill of Inspiration, The Calamus of Canon! I thought about you and what you would want. I destroyed the Quill. For that, the Tscheapwhetzar rewarded me with a chance to fix one thing in my life to help me find a happy ending to my story. He told me that it was you, and I can't help but agree."

He gave her an honest and winning smile. It made her knees buckle. That was the smile she had wanted to have from him. It was so pure, and with those tears in his eyes, she knew that he really meant it, everything he said. It made her want to reach out and pull him close, so that she could protect him forever. But that dragon loomed over the both of them.

"Darkstalker, I believe you, but what can I do? You've already killed your father. This will set into motion a chain of events that will change the world forever. Why didn't you take that back?" She finally cried out. "Why are we here, when you could have stopped it? Why are we together in a terrible murder? Why are we standing on the side of a mountain ready to bury us? Why did you leave everything so wrong?!"

"Clearsight, it needed to happen for what is about to come," Darkstalker said gravely. "Because of my actions, five young dragonets will arise in the middle of a SandWing civil war, and because of their actions and examples, they will unite the tribes of Pyrrhia in a way that they have never been before. They will bring our world to the bright future that we never could, even with our amazing gifts."

Suddenly, Clearsight saw them. Clay, with loving honesty and selfless nature. A true friend to every dragon and possessing the biggest heart any dragon could ever have. Fierce Tsunami with her great leadership and sacrificing for her friends. She was the guardian and the voice of reason. Though she had an abrasive personality, Clearsight already liked her. Glory with her stubbornness, but she loved everyone in her own way. She was the queen Clearsight wanted to serve, not Vigilance. Shy, but brilliant Starflight, who was so brave. His pain made her want to cry, but she also smiled to see such a hero come from her own tribe. And then there was precious Sunny. She was the key to everything, with her personality and optimism. She made destiny bend to her will. Tears now spilled from her own eyes. Clearsight loved these five as though they were her own dragonets, even though she had never met them.

Whipping the tears away she asked, "What was that I just saw?"

"Did you see them," Darkstalker asked eagerly. "Did you see Moon with them?"

More dragons appeared before her mind. A lovely NightWing with so many powers and traits similar to her beloved, but she was entirely selfless. She was surrounded by other dragons from all over Pyrrhia. Winter, Kinkajou, Qibli, Peril, Turtle, and others. Again, the dark dragon loomed over them, swallowing up the colors radiating from Darkstalker.

"Yes! Yes, I see them. Not much, but I see them, and I feel as though I know them."

"I know them," Darkstalker said quietly. "They amaze me. Even though I did try to control them, they beat me. I regret it all. _He_ found a way of restoring my soul using magic from other worlds. Magic that builds up the soul. That heightens it. Now that I am whole, and after my time with those other villains, I have learned to see things differently."

Clearsight nodded, but she finally asked again, "But what does this have to do with me? How can I change the future when everything I did could not stop it from going so wrong?"

Darkstalker hiccupped and chuckled. He took her talons in his own and got up close. "You complete me. You are my better half in so many ways. I tried to avoid arguments with you, because your wise and kind words went against my selfish nature. But I needed that. With you, I can escape the terrible future in which I fight against these dragonets and cause them so much harm. I leaned further into the future than I ever have before.

"Together, we build a family on the forgotten continent. All six of our children. Even Foeslayer." Clearsight felt a shiver through her body at this. Not an unpleasant one, though. He was actually accepting her version of the future for once. How did he change so much? And yet, he felt just like the old Darkstalker that she loved so much.

He paused briefly and then plowed ahead, "We will grow old together, and happy. Through the power that has given me this second chance, a new timeline will appear wherein we can work out our happiness together until we are needed to help the dragonets of our future, and to help save all the Realms! I have a Contract with Lagerblad: he will not let us die and we will work together with him as he fights his own wars across the Stars.

"Clearsight, there are so many worlds out there! It is beyond even my understanding. They are all at risk, but together we can save the day! And when the dragonets of the future need us, we will return and help them build the Jade Mountain Academy to all that it can and is supposed to be."

Clearsight looked with awe into her love's eyes. He meant it all. She did not understand it, but she felt it was true. She still could not see into the future, despite the glimpses she had caught of Moonwatcher and the others. She gave Darkstalker a worried look.

"So, I am going to be your voice of reason as we run away? That doesn't sound entirely responsible of us. Also, what about your magic? And what if you change back? What about Fathom, and Indigo? What of our families? Why am I asking so many questions!? This is just so crazy!"

She pulled away and clutched her head with worry. Darkstalker busied himself with his pouch and produced a small cube. He rolled it between two claws and then said, "The Realms, all of the worlds, need my animus magic. And they need you just as much, probably more. I know we tried this before and it fell apart, but will you help me with my spells?"

"How can you ask that of me again, Darkstalker? You betrayed my trust! And what about your soul?"

He again played with that earring of his. "The Tscheapwhtzar used magic call Biochroma mixed with another magic called Stormlight to rebuild my soul. With Hemalurgy and hadium, a magical mineral, he made my soul whole again. With this earring in place, I can use Stormlight to fuel my spells instead of my soul.

"However, it is also the choices and animus makes that determines the fate of his or her soul. For that, I need you Clearsight. Snakes, even without your ability to see the future I need you! You have that moral compass that all the tribes need! You can hold your ground. You care! Please, teach me to be like you! Together, we can wield my magic for the best!"

Taking a deep breath, Clearsight said, "Okay, let's unpack this. First thing's first. How did he rebuild your soul?"

She was surprised to suddenly see Darkstalker become giddy and fidgety, like he was about to present her with a cool project or present. "Biochroma uses the soul to enhance one personally, grant life to objects, and more, but the soul can also be accumulated. On the world of Nalthis they call this Breath. Breath is traded and used like a currency. It also supports magic and gives humans special abilities and enhanced lives. Stormlight is the life force and power of the god Honor on the world Roshar. These two magics can be combined. The Hemalurgic earring I have was made to grant me the ability to use Breath and Stormlight. Together, they invigorated my soul, along with some work on his part. It is the influence of Breath that makes me radiate color the way I do. But, it is the decisions I make that redeem my soul."

"Alright, that was as clear as a MudWing's hovel," Clearsight said with a quick giggle. The way Darkstalker was acting as he spoke just took her away to happier and simpler times. "It sounds totally weird and made up."

Darkstalker shrugged. "I honestly can't say. But I have spent time with him. He said he wanted to see me have a happy ending, and he provided the opportunity. I have seen him fight for different worlds and he has made me a part of it. I think you might like him, somewhat."

"We'll see about that. Now then, what is this 'contract' you have with him?"

Darkstalker shuffled a little bit and then said, "In return for giving me this chance and saving my life earlier, I will serve him in his war against a being known as the King of Abominations. I have fought his minions already, and they are darker than even myself. Or I should say, my old self. Also, you would be a part of that if you joined me, as would our children and the dragons of the future."

Clearsight did not like that all, but she put that aside as she asked her next question, "But what about your animus powers? We don't have the scroll."

Darkstalker held up the cube. "If I break this, I will have all the powers of an animus fueled by Stormlight and Breath. It will also seal the Contract and we will build our future together."

He sounded eager to her. This was dangerous territory. She wished she had her foresight so that she could know what was right.

"Don't look so worried," Darkstalker pleaded. "Think about it. We would be together. We would have our dragonets. I would have my soul. You would get to explore. And there is more out there to see than you could possibly right now imagine. I know it is dangerous, but please Clearsight."

The dark dragon bent down towards her and she flinched. There was something stirring behind Darkstalker's eyes. She didn't like the look of it. The dark dragon's nose touched hers and she suddenly saw it for as the future Darkstalker. A king among dragons. But then she began to have glimpses of something different.

She and Darkstalker discovering the lost continent. They had a large manor that they built together, and there they had six beautiful dragonets. There on her own doorstep she met a scavenger with a flowing brown cloak. This was the Tscheapwhetzar. She flew with Darkstalker through the Stars. Worlds flashed before her eyes. Then she saw a tower in the middle of large valley, one side dark and the other white with light. Then she stood again in the stars starring at a dead plant surrounded with hordes of shadow monsters and Abominations. Darkstalker was right; they were pure evil. An evil older than Pyrrhia and the Origin. Wait, what was the Origin? Everything was stake in this final battle. Darkstalker stood to protect her with a glowing sword that destroyed all it touched as she told a young king with red hair and dragons on his arms where to send his vast armies. Foeslayer, her brave boy, grappled with an Abomination. A dragon reached its wings into the eternities and armies flooded from it. Armies of dragons.

This battle would be a decisive moment in a war that would either save countless lives, or destroy them. She and Darkstalker could make a real difference in that war. But she was tired of war. What would happen if she didn't go?

Tears spilled down her cheeks again. Darkstalker wiped them away carefully.

"Please don't let me go into this alone," he whispered.

Clearsight pulled him into a hug and wept. "I hate you, but I love with every part of my heart and soul."

"I know," he answered. "And I hope to never betray that again."

She heard him break the cube. The massive Darkstalker shadow fell into him and disappeared. They broke apart, which was difficult for Clearsight. Even with the impending avalanche that would demolish Agate Mountain, she just wanted to stay here with her love. Forever stuck in a beautiful moment of honesty and reconciliation. Darkstalker produced from his pouch a few scrolls.

"I already wrote letters for Whiteout and Fathom. I have more here if you want to write Listener or your parents. We can explain things to them and wish them the best."

"How will they get to them?"

"Magic," Darkstalker said simply. "You'd better hurry."

"Don't rush me! Though I guess we should get out of here now," she said with irritation. Her divining powers had returned. They had little time before the earthquake. She did not want to be sloppy with her letters. They would take time.

They flew some ways away, and even as the earthquake hit and Agat Mountain tumbled down Clearsight wrote with all her heart to her best friend and to her parents. It was such a hard thing to do. But the visions she had were now leading her ahead. They led to her acceptance, to happiness, and finally to war. But even there, she saw all their faces. It made no sense now, but she knew that if she held the course it would be so.

Darkstalker stood by her side and remained silent. He was lost in thought, though he hugged her with his wings. After was felt like weeks, she was done. Darkstalker took the scroll in his talons and breathed deeply. Light flew from his pouch and into him. He shone brightly for a brief second and then he spoke.

"Find Fathom, Whiteout, Listener, and Clearsight's parents and have them read you."

With that, the scrolls zipped away into the sky and were soon lost to sight.

"I always thought that flying off into the sunset with my true love would feel and be different," Clearsight said sadly.

"Life is not the picture-perfect story," Darkstalker said. "But it can-"

"But it can become a dream if we only ready to put in the work and love each other." Clearsight rolled her eyes. "You need to work on how deliver romantic lines that aren't overdoing it or too preachy."

"Then next time, you should correct me before I start and not finish my sentence. Maybe one day I'll get there," Darkstalker laughed. It was so good to hear that old laugh again. But it was painful. They were leaving Fathom behind, and everyone else, even with the letters… "Clearsight, please keep that band I gave you handy. It is a special gift. From both Fathom and myself. And…"

It startled her to hear that from him. She hugged him fiercely, saying, "We make this work, I won't have to."

"Now that was the right way to finish my sentence," Darkstalker whispered, hugging her back just as strong.

Soon, they were in the air, the dust from Agate Mountain choking the sun, and they flew off to meet their new and hope filled destiny.


	33. Author's Ending Note

Well, this was an interesting experiment.

In many ways, the Villainous Vigilantes was originally (in concept and original outline) a much more coherent and comprehensive story. But then, something great happened, I had break throughs with the larger universe building and story that I am building with my fanfics and the books I'm writing. But that was not entirely good for this story. This meant that things started getting messy. However, I decided to forge ahead and see how things turned out.

I'll admit, a lot of different points devolved into a mess. The overall story survived! With more time, I could have worked things through better, but with a new job and with real books on my mind, I could not give this fanfic much more attention. I ended it when I hit the original outline's ending. It's definitely not the best! That's for sure!

I'll say this to anyone who is reading this story and its end note: If you are going to write any story, make sure that you can dedicate all the time and attention it needs. An incomplete or half-worked tale is a sad thing and always taunts you. It is far better to properly plan, write, rework, and edit a story, and then it will be a more satisfying project.

So, learn from my mistakes!

At the end of the day, I am happy with this crazy fanfic. It was fun to write, a complex problem to figure out, and it heled me play around with a lot bigger concepts and ideas that I have tumbling about in my skull. Hopefully, those ideas and concepts will find their way onto the printed page in a much clearer and epic way. Hope you enjoyed this crazy story, and I hope you'll read my other tales as they come out in the future!


End file.
